November 11, 2025 | 11:50am ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

TEAMS EYEING O’REILLY AS POTENTIAL TARGET

Ryan O’Reilly, forward

The Nashville Predators have lost three straight games and sit near the bottom of the Western Conference standings with a 5-9-4 record.

As the Predators continue to search for their identity, speculation is starting to swirl over what changes may be coming for the club this season.

Head Coach Andrew Brunette’s future is reportedly up in the air – he is under contract through 2026-27, with a team option for another season – and GM Barry Trotz has several roster decisions to make this season, which will essentially determine the future path this club takes.

Veterans Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault are believed to be willing to consider a move later this season to a top-tier Stanley Cup contender, according to TFP’s David Pagnotta, but others may be more likely to be on the move if the team does not find a way to course-correct its season.

Forwards Michael Bunting, Erik Haula, Michael McCarron, Tyson Jost and Cole Smith, and defenceman Nick Blankenburg, are all playing in the final year of their contracts and are eligible to become unrestricted free agents next July.

While all six players are candidates to be traded at some point this season, veteran centre Ryan O’Reilly might be the likeliest to be dealt by the trade deadline.

O’Reilly, 34, has one more year on his contract after this season and comes with a $4.5 million salary cap hit. He does not own any official no-trade protection, but if moved, the Predators will be poised to send him to a playoff contender.

The former Stanley Cup champion has been critical of his performance this season – he has tallied six goals and seven assists for 13 points in 18 games so far this season, putting him one point behind Filip Forsberg for the team lead – a sign of frustration for the club’s overall play.

As Pagnotta reported last week on The Sheet with Jeff Marek and reiterated over the weekend on Hello Hockey on Edmonton Sports Talk with Tom Gazzola and Shawn Belle, O’Reilly is already on the radar of several contenders and is a prime candidate to be moved this season, as both his experience and cap hit, even with another season on his contract, are appealing to teams.