Predators, Ryan O'Reilly agree to 4-year deal

[Brewin Flames]

Source: Predators, Ryan O'Reilly agree to 4-year deal

• ESPN

Jul 1, 2023, 12:25 PM ET

Ryan O'Reilly has agreed to a four-year deal with the Nashville Predators, a source told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski on Saturday.

 

O'Reilly finished up a seven-year contract last season.

 

The deal carried an average annual value of $7.5 million and the Blues rid themselves of it at the trading deadline, shipping their captain to the Maple Leafs.

 

O'Reilly's start with Toronto was up-and-down as he scored a hat trick not long after the deal, in a win over the Sabres, but on March 3, the club announced he had a broken finger. The 32-year-old center then went on long-term injured reserve, saving Toronto some salary-cap room before the playoffs began on April 17.

 

O'Reilly was one of six new players former Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas brought in before the trade deadline in an effort to make the team more competitive. A Stanley Cup winner and playoff MVP in 2019, O'Reilly won 84.4% of his faceoffs with the Maple Leafs before being deactivated.

 

The veteran helped Toronto get past the first round for the first time since 2004, leading the Maple Leafs past the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. But Toronto was quickly scurried out of the postseason in Round 2, when the Florida Panthers eliminated the Maple Leafs in five games.

In 2019, O'Reilly quarterbacked St. Louis' worst-to-first season. The Blues won a Game 7 on the road to eliminate the Boston Bruins and secure the club's first-ever Stanley Cup.

 

[ruxpin]

I said this when he went to Toronto and was told I know nothing about hockey.

 

I don't like him.  I don't think he's worth jack.  And he didn't help the Leafs at all.

 

This signing makes zero sense to me, though I wondered if this was the plan when they traded Johansen (who I also dislike and for similar reasons).

 

I know a new GM wants to make a splash, but he's deluding himself if he thinks that team is close. To sign a 32 year old to that kind of money and specifically someone who has several times seemingly checked out on his team -- it's just management malpractice, IMO.

 

Hoping whoever it was when he went to Toronto who told me how star spangled awesome that trade was can come back and tell me how wonderful this was. Then i can know my opinion here has been truly validated.