The Montreal Canadiens are widely expected to strengthen their offensive group in the coming months. This comes even after the team signed forward Alexandre Texier on November 23. Texier is a natural winger, and Montreal is still looking to add a quality center to the lineup.
One particular player who would improve the Canadiens in the middle of the ice is Nashville Predators star Ryan O’Reilly. Nashville is struggling once again in the standings and is likely headed towards a rebuild. As a result, the Preds may look to swap multiple veterans for young players and/or high draft picks. O’Reilly could very well top this particular list.
“The name that has the most interest is Ryan O’Reilly, which isn’t surprising – there are teams that called on him last year as well,” TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports. “The Predators decided to keep him at the time. He’s got a year and a half left on his contract at $4.5 million (which is) very appealing to teams looking for a center who’s a Stanley Cup champion.”
Reporter Reveals Nashville Predators GM’s Asking price for Ryan O’Reilly
GettyRyan O’Reilly would bring a veteran presence to a young Montreal Canadiens team.
LeBrun went on to claim that the Canadiens are specifically interested in O’Reilly. The reporter also suggested a potential asking price for the veteran. As expected, Nashville is looking for a lot in return for the star.
“The Montreal Canadiens are among the teams, I’m told, that have interest,” continued LeBrun. “What is the price tag for O’Reilly? I’m told, if and when the Predators are ready to go down that route, it’ll likely be a first-round pick and an A-level prospect to get into the conversation on O’Reilly.”
It remains to be seen if Montreal, or any other team, would meet this steep price tag. After all, O’Reilly is now 34 and potentially winding down his illustrious career. Nevertheless, the center still puts up points (13 in 22 games) and remains a top face-off winner (57.3%). The Canadiens are also the youngest team in the entire NHL and could use a veteran presence such as O’Reilly.
Canadiens Could Hold Advantage in Competitive Chase for O’Reilly
If the Canadiens are willing to negotiate the aforementioned costly price tag for O’Reilly, they could have an edge over other teams. According to Puckpedia.com, Montreal has a current cap space of just over $3.5 million. The figure, compared to the center’s cap hit of just $4.5 million, suggests that the Canadiens should be able to work out a deal relatively easily.
On top of this, Montreal also has one of the most talented prospect pools in the league. ESPN recently rated the club fifth out of all 32 teams in their November 6 rankings. The outlet specifically named Jacob Fowler, David Reinbacher, Michael Hage, and Alexander Zharovsky as the top prospects in the organization.
After a strong start to the season, the Canadiens have faltered in recent weeks. This includes winning just three of their last 10 games as of November 26. As a result, Montreal has slipped down to fifth in the Atlantic Division. Potentially grabbing O’Reilly ahead of the March 6 trade deadline would give the club a major boost heading towards the playoffs.
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