The Ryan O’Reilly situation in Nashville is the kind of trade storyline that can sit quietly for months and then suddenly take over a season. According to Elliotte Friedman, O’Reilly’s name is now one of the bigger ones to watch. Teams have been trying to pry him out of Nashville for more than two years, but he never had written trade protection - only a verbal promise from the Predators, and they’ve kept their word.
What makes this worth watching now is the calendar. O’Reilly is in the final year of his deal, and if Nashville makes it clear there won’t be an extension, that changes the entire picture.
Nobody is expecting a move immediately, but the possibility is real enough to track closely, especially if the Predators stumble out of the gate. O’Reilly has built up plenty of respect around the league, and if he’s already looking at a likely move next year anyway, it would make sense for him to want control over where that happens.
A chance to chase another Cup with a contender would be hard to ignore. For now, Nashville is expected to honor its word.
But this is the kind of thing that can flip quickly once the results start coming in.
In Edmonton, Mike Babcock is making a different kind of call with Tristan Jarry. Despite Devon Levi’s strong outing against Calgary, Babcock is going back to Jarry against the Canucks.
That decision isn’t about one game, though. It’s about giving Jarry a real runway after a difficult year.
Babcock liked what he saw from him in preseason, and he pointed to the work Jarry put in on his conditioning over the summer. He also said the second preseason game stood out, when Jarry was under siege and held his ground.
The matchup itself also matters. Vancouver is the sort of opponent the Oilers should beat, which makes this a clean spot for Jarry to try to build confidence without the pressure being overwhelming.
Edmonton has a backup plan, too. Devon Levi is ready whenever he’s needed, and Frederik Andersen is getting closer, with a return expected by late October.
So if Jarry doesn’t seize the moment, there are other options waiting. But the message is clear: the Oilers want to see whether he can still be their guy, and this is a useful game to find out.
The biggest surprise in the Marchenko chase may be just how much ground Toronto covered while staying out of the spotlight. Montreal was in on him for months, with interest going back to June, but the Canadiens never put together the kind of offer Columbus wanted. The Blue Jackets were looking for a real immediate-impact player, and any Montreal package would have required Demidov, Slafkovský, or Caufield - a price the Habs weren’t willing to pay.
Toronto had the exact type of piece Columbus wanted in Matthew Knies, and that changed everything. While Montreal was pushing hard, the Leafs kept their interest quiet and ended up with the stronger fit.
Columbus also had no real urgency to move Marchenko, with GM Don Waddell not eager to deal him while the Jackets hoped to compete this season. Still, Toronto got there by combining the Knies offer with willingness to take on Merzlikins and Wood.
Marchenko’s relationship with coach Rick Bowness had reportedly become tense, which added another layer to the situation.
There was also a personal piece to the story. Marchenko would have been happy to go to Montreal without hesitation, but he was reportedly less certain about Toronto at first. Even so, he clearly came around once the deal started taking shape.
In Other News...
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The waiver wire kept moving just before opening night, and one of the more notable names to change hands came from a division rival's back end. The St. Louis Blues claimed defenseman Justin Barron off waivers from the Nashville Predators, another reminder of how much roster churn can hit at the end of camp as teams make final decisions on NHL-ready depth.
Nashville also had its own paperwork to sort through, placing defensemen Ilya Lyubushkin and Nick Perbix on waivers ahead of the regular season. For a club still shaping its blue line, those moves fit the familiar late-September squeeze, when contracts, performance and roster math all collide and leave a few familiar names hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan O'Reilly Trade Buzz Is Back For The Predators
Ryan OReilly is back in the conversation as the trade market starts to take shape, with Elliotte Friedman noting that his name could carry real weight because of both his contract situation and Nashvilles uneven results. The Predators entered the season with aspirations to stay in the mix, but when a team is fighting to find its footing, every veteran on an expiring deal gets a little more scrutiny, especially one with OReillys reputation and appeal.
For now, Nashville still has the comfort of a verbal promise that OReilly would not be moved, but that assurance is not the same as long-term security. He is heading into the final year of his contract without trade protection, and with interest around him still strong, the Predators may soon have to decide whether their best play is to keep pushing forward or address his future before the market does it for them. [Read more 🡒]