Ryan O’Reilly: The perfect target for the Canadiens, but…

Marc-Olivier Cook
Ryan O’Reilly: The perfect target for the Canadiens, but…
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Will the Canadiens be able to improve at center between now and the NHL trade deadline?

We're beginning to wonder.

There aren't many centers available on the market, and a number of clubs want to acquire one too. It's going to get pretty interesting over the next few weeks… because the asking price for these centers is likely to be really high.

Among the names that have been thrown around in the rumor mill lately is Ryan O'Reilly. It's not crazy because the veteran is in the third year (out of four on his contract) and because the Preds are really bad.

Barry Trotz might want to maximize his value by sending him elsewhere. And in the eyes of Pierre LeBrun(Sick Podcast), O'Reilly would be the perfect player right now for the Canadiens:

But there's a problem: O'Reilly doesn't seem to be ready for a change of address.

The veteran doesn't have a no-movement or no-trade clause in his contract, but LeBrun mentions that Barry Trotz has told O'Reilly he'll be involved in discussions if there's a trade.

And again according to LeBrun, O'Reilly may not be there yet because he likes Nashville so much:

I don't think he (O'Reilly) is available. I don't think he's desperate to leave the Predators. – Pierre LeBrun

That makes sense too, in a way. Ryan O'Reilly is 36 years old and has already changed teams four times since the start of his career: he's played in Colorado, Buffalo, St. Louis, Toronto, Nashville…

Perhaps the idea of moving again doesn't appeal to him. But LeBrun also mentioned this: that could change in the next few months… because we know that Ryan O'Reilly wants to win the Stanley Cup. He has the attitude of a winner, and it's as if he's wasting his time at certain levels with the Preds because the organization isn't going anywhere.

I'd like to see Ryan O'Reilly come to Montreal. Jean-Charles Lajoie too… and I'm sure there are other people who think that way too.

But some things will have to change for that to happen. Especially at the player level…


Overtime

– Great news!

– Nice.

– Coming up.

– It's the right mentality.

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