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...
Maple Leafs Just Found A New Way To Buy Cap Flexibility
The Maple Leafs have spent plenty of time looking for cleaner paths to salary-cap breathing room, and the deal they completed with Columbus gives them one more lever to work with. The trade sent Matthew Knies to the Blue Jackets while bringing back the contracts of Elvis Merzlikins and Miles Wood, a swap that changes the books in a meaningful way and adds another layer to how Toronto can manage its roster now and beyond.
What makes this one stand out is the way long-term injured reserve can help soften the immediate cap hit for Toronto, turning the move into more than a simple player-for-player transaction. There are also contract extensions tied into the deal that affect future seasons without changing the current one, which is exactly the kind of structure front offices use when they want flexibility without giving up the ability to reshape the roster later. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Suddenly Face A Season Opener Lineup Question
The Maple Leafs may be dealing with a familiar kind of early-season inconvenience, only this one comes with a roster wrinkle they did not expect. Kirill Marchenko, recently acquired in a trade, could be unavailable for the upcoming game against the Montreal Canadiens while the club waits on the Canadian work visa process to clear up.
For a team trying to get settled heading into the opener, the uncertainty leaves at least one spot in limbo. Toronto is still awaiting further updates on Marchenkos status, and until there is word on the visa, the Leafs have to prepare as if they may be without a player they had planned to have available right away. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs GM Finally Explained The Logic Behind Torontos Knies Shocker
John Chayka took the microphone to explain one of the more eye-catching moves in Torontos recent roster reshuffle, the deal that sent Matthew Knies to the Columbus Blue Jackets and brought Kirill Marchenko and two other players back the other way. The Maple Leafs general manager framed the move around Marchenkos skill set, his contract extension, and the way his game is supposed to fit with the group, while also making clear that Toronto still valued what Knies and Steven Lorentz had brought to the organization.
What made the explanation linger was the financial side of it, since Marchenkos contract was part of the logic Chayka leaned on as he talked through the teams next steps. For a club that is always balancing top-end talent with long-term flexibility, the trade feels like the kind of bet that only makes sense when the roster plan is viewed through a wider lens, and Chayka left enough of that blueprint on the table to keep the move under scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]