Predators Center Doesn’t Want to Leave — But 2 Teams Circling

Ryan O’Reilly is being mentioned in several trade rumors of late and with the roster freeze lifting at midnight tonight, he’s a name to watch. Recently, he was linked to the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche, but one insiders suggests O’Reilly isn’t keen about bailing on the Nashville Predators.

---

In a recent article for The Athletic, Jesse Granger says the Avs might be a team to look out for here and writes:

“What a full-circle moment this would be. Not only would it bring O’Reilly back to the place his career began, but he would also solidify the Avalanche down the middle of the ice, perhaps better than any other available player. Jack Drury and Ross Colton have been solid bottom-six centers, but O’Reilly would give Jared Bednar another option to create matchup problems for the opposition in the playoffs and make the best team in the league even scarier.”

Meanwhile, Michael Russo linked the Wild to O’Reilly. He noted, “It sure feels like the Wild are a center from true contender status and O’Reilly could be the perfect fit.” Russo pointed out that the Wild are among the NHL’s worst faceoff teams, tied for 28th this year. “O’Reilly’s tremendous in the circle,” he notes. He adds, “The Wild also rank 25th on the penalty kill, an area he can help. He can score and he’s incredibly disciplined, so he’d fit in (the Wild have been short-handed second-fewest times in the NHL at 93).”

O’Reilly was technically once a member of the Wild, as they were the middleman when it came to salary retention when O’Reilly was originally traded from St. Louis to Toronto in 2023.

Is O’Reilly Ready to Leave the Predators?

Pierre LeBrun noted in a Christmas Eve post that O’Reilly sees himself as part of the solution in Nashville and doesn’t want to abandon ship. “I can certainly see a world in which he doesn’t go anywhere; there’s still time for things to change before the trade deadline,” he explained.

And, while O’Reilly doesn’t hold trade protection in his contract, reports indicate that the Predators will be treating him like he has full control over if and where he goes.

Next: NHL Weekend Rumors: Who’s Buying, Who’s Waiting, and What Comes Next