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Friedman Provides Update on Ryan O’Reilly Trade Status

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Spencer Lazary | Last updated Jan 11, 2025 10:36 PM ET

Tonight, on the Sportsnet Saturday Headlines report, Elliotte Friedman provided an update on Ryan O’Reilly’s trade status. The Nashville Predators have had numerous calls on their veteran forward; however, they are taking an interesting approach. Although he doesn’t have any trade protection language in his contract, GM Barry Trotz is treating O’Reilly as if he does.

The Predators Would Like to Keep O’Reilly

Friedman mentioned that the Predators want to keep O’Reilly. They like what he brings on and off the ice, especially when they re-tool their team. Trotz would like him to be a part of the team when they are winning. However, he also mentioned that two conditions would make the team trade O’Reilly.

The first condition: The offer has to be something really excites them. It needs to blow them away, and they will consider moving him.

The second condition: It has to be something that O’Reilly would agree to.

It has been rumored that O’Reilly would likely be traded this season, given his contract and the Predators’ struggles. However, now it seems like they will be keeping him and hoping that they can turn things around this off-season.

Is Keeping O’Reilly the Right Move?

The Predators spent a ton of money last season signing Brady Skjei, Steven Stamkos and Johnathan Maraseault. The hope was to put this team back into the Stanley Cup contenders, but it hasn’t worked. They have struggled right from the start of the season and now look to be heading for a re-tool. If that’s the case, why wouldn’t they trade O’Reilly?

Obviously, the main reason not to trade the forward, as Friedman had mentioned, is O’Reilly’s leadership. On the other hand, they have Steven Stamkos on their roster, so trading O’Reilly and reallocating that cap space makes some sense. They would likely also get another younger NHL player and a draft pick or two to stock up on prospects. It would be a smart move to trade O’Reilly and do an actual re-tool this off-season.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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