If the Nashville Predators are going to trade Ryan O'Reilly this season, it's going to be on the veteran forward's terms.
Even though Nashville has struggled to a 13-21-7 record over 41 games, placing it 13 points out of a playoff spot, the team is telling any interested clubs that O'Reilly will only be moved under a certain set of conditions, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
"I think the Predators' preference is to keep him because they want him to win, especially when they start to put the pieces back together at the end of this year, and also, they see him as a leader on and off the ice," Friedman said during the Saturday Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada.
"However, they are going to at least consider it under two conditions. Number one: The offer has got to be something that really excites them ... and number two: It has to be something O'Reilly would agree to."
The 33-year-old has continued to produce in his 16th NHL season, scoring 12 goals and dishing out 13 assists with Nashville, which, alongside a sterling reputation across the NHL, has piqued teams' interest in potentially acquiring his services.
"When [O'Reilly] signed with the Predators before last season, he signed a four-year deal. There was no protection in there. No no-move clause, nothing like that," Friedman said. "There's been some speculation this year, and I think the Predators have been called about O'Reilly, and the respect he has across the league is so high, people want to know if he'd be available."
O'Reilly, of course, did ink a four-year, $18-million deal with Nashville two summers ago, ending his first campaign in The Music City with 26 goals and 69 points while suiting up in all 82 games.
With a Lady Byng, a Selke, a Conn Smythe and a Stanley Cup all in his trophy case, O'Reilly profiles as the perfect fit for any team in need of veteran experience and middle-six production.
It's precisely the presence he brings to the locker room that has Nashville so willing to cater to the left-handed shooting centreman.
"Here's what I understand the Predators are telling teams. They are saying, 'he may not have protection language in his contract, but he is being treated as if he has a no-move clause,'" Friedman relayed.
And while Nashville hasn't made much headway in surging back into the playoff picture — it is just 6-10 since Dec. 1 — Friedman says O'Reilly isn't actively seeking a change of scenery at this point in the season.
"As far as I can tell at this time, I believe O'Reilly has indicated in any way, shape or form he is looking to move."
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