The Nashville Predators are one of the only NHL teams in sell mode, and veteran center Ryan O’Reilly is the prime trade candidate to be dealt first.

O’Reilly has not looked like himself this season, and has called his own play out publicly. With that said, the Predators as a group are struggling, and GM Barry Trotz has no other move but to listen to trade offers. When it comes to moving O’Reilly, the New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens are leading the charge.

O’Reilly doesn’t have any trade protection on his contract, but Trotz has made things very clear with other teams that he’s going to seek the player’s approval first before uprooting him, and his young family. O’Reilly loves playing in Nashville, he loves the city, the weather, the music scene, the lack of media attention, but he hasn’t loved the results, which is why a move seems like a case of ‘when’ and not ‘if’.

The Devils and Canadiens are both in the market for centers, so it makes sense they would target the very durable, two-way presence of the former Conn Smythe trophy winner. 

Daily Faceoff’s Scott Maxwell had O’Reilly listed as a prime trade candidate to get moved soon, and had this to say about a potential deal:

Have you seen O’Reilly these days? He hasn’t looked like he hates his job this much since his time with the Buffalo Sabres. All jokes aside, Nashville is one of the few teams already far enough out of a playoff spot to justify selling, and if I were to pick one Predator who could move soon, it’s probably O’Reilly. Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos have expensive enough contracts that they’re more likely to be moved in the summer, and Michael Bunting and Erik Haula aren’t big-enough names to justify rushing the market just yet. That leaves O’Reilly, and on top of him seemingly wanting out of Nashville as soon as possible, there are some teams looking for some help down the middle in the wake of injuries like the Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils, so they may rush to make a move.

The Predators are expected to make a move before the holiday roster freeze, and O’Reilly could be the player moved out first.

Photo credit: Bob Lee, Imagn ImagesÂ