The Nashville Predators spent big in NHL Free Agency this summer. Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault signed with the Predators in free agency, and that alone would have been a big deal. However, they also signed the best defenseman on the market in Brady Skjei. For current Nashville forward Ryan O'Reilly, free agency could not have gone better.
O'Reilly spoke with reporters during a golf tournament in Brampton, Ontario on Monday. The veteran center could not contain his excitement when speaking about the moves. And he is looking forward to making a push for the Stanley Cup once the new season rolls around.
“July 1st, for myself, it was Christmas,” O'Reilly said to reporters, via Sportsnet. “It was just kind of, ‘Oh my gosh, oh my gosh,' with guy after guy. So excited. I think we have a window in Nashville with (Filip) Forsberg and (Roman) Josi and (Juuse) Saros, getting him done, and all these guys in their prime that, you know, we have an opportunity I think to compete for a Cup and you add these other guys. … We have a ton of belief that we can compete for a Stanley Cup.”
Ryan O'Reilly, Predators confident about Stanley Cup chances
The Predators found their stride at the right time this season. After stumbling through the first half, Nashville went on a massive run. They had a record of 20-5-2 in their final 27 games of the regular season. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they took the Pacific Division champion Vancouver Canucks to six games.
Nashville believed they had a chance to make some noise with the right moves. And their activity in NHL Free Agency made a statement that they intended to make that noise sooner rather than later. O'Reilly mentioned that this sort of attitude does wonders in instilling confidence in a team.
“There's that confidence that the organization has in us that, you know, last year we worked hard and I think we found an identity,” the Predators forward said, via Sportsnet. “To see them, and to talk with them and bringing in some pieces that can help us and elevate that, it just shows that confidence that we feel excited. I think everyone is just like, let's get this thing rolling.”
Nashville has invested a lot in Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. These sorts of spending sprees can easily backfire in a major way. But the Predators believe their spending spree will be much different. It'll certainly be interesting to see how the new faces mesh with Ryan O'Reilly and the current members of the roster in 2024-25.
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