Revisiting Ryan O'Reilly

The Devils made a push for the two-way pivot at the deadline. Will they restart discussions with the Predators looking toward the future?

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The New Jersey Devils explored a lot of options down the middle of the ice following Jack Hughes’ season-ending injury.

They were looking for a top-6 caliber pivot who could help the team compete in the playoffs while also improving the outlook moving forward. Such a deal never materialized.

One player who reportedly caught their eye was Ryan O’Reilly but the asking price was deemed too high.

While that largely stemmed from the fact O’Reilly is an excellent player with a proven track record in the playoffs, the Predators also seemed intent on a quick turnaround and weren’t entirely sold on trading him. Thus, they wanted to be blown away.

The goalposts have moved since. Perhaps realizing a non-playoff team littered with players on the wrong side of 30 needs more than some fine-tuning, Predators GM Barry Trotz may have changed his tune on aiming to get right back into the playoffs.

If that’s the case, O’Reilly seems like an obvious candidate to be traded in the coming weeks.

He doesn’t carry the no-move protection Steven Stamkos or Jonathan Marchessault do – or any, for that matter. He’s also not a legacy player like Filip Forsberg or Roman Josi.

As a 34-year-old, with two years left on his deal, he’s unlikely to be around by the time the Predators truly right the ship. It makes sense to move on and look toward the future.

If O’Reilly is back on the market, and the Predators are truly open to moving him, it’s worth making a call.