Barry Trotz reveals (himself) the price to pay for Ryan O’Reilly

Dose
Crédit:

With the NHL trade deadline approaching rapidly (March 7), trade rumors are intensifying.

For the Montreal Canadiens, a few possibilities have been mentioned, but nothing is concrete and we can only speculate on potential returns.

However, on rare occasions, general managers open up publicly about the expected return for one of their players on the market.

This is what Barry Trotz recently did during his appearance on the podcast 100% Hockey, hosted by John Shannon and Daren Millard.

The Nashville Predators are not necessarily looking to trade Ryan O’Reilly, but the price has nonetheless been set.

According to what Barry Trotz said on the podcast 100% Hockey, Nashville would like to receive a young player who would have a significant impact with the team for O’Reilly.

“I’m getting a lot of calls about Ryan. We have a young group. I would need to be offered a young player who would have a significant impact for me to agree to let him go” – Barry Trotz

Once again, it’s very rare to see a GM reveal the expected return for one of their players, especially when that player is not necessarily on the trade market.

At first glance, the return requested by Trotz seems high for a 34-year-old center.

However, O’Reilly has not slowed down much this season, having amassed 34 points in 51 games.

Additionally, it should be noted that the veteran not only brings experience to a contending team but also provides great defensive stability.

He has always been one of the best defensive centers in the NHL.

He even won the Frank J. Selke Trophy (best defensive forward) in 2019. O’Reilly also won the Conn Smythe Trophy (MVP of the playoffs) that year when he won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues.

Definitely, if a team aspiring for great honors seeks to improve its middle-6, O’Reilly could be a very good option.

He does not have a very large impact on the salary cap ($4.5 million per season), but he is signed for two more years after the current season, which could cause a slight issue.

Giving up a young player who would have a significant impact for the Predators isn’t that complicated since the team is currently ranked 30th in the NHL.

This situation will be closely monitored.

In Brief

– Matthew Tkachuk will miss his turn against Sweden, while Canada hopes to see Cale Makar play against Finland, as he was on the ice today.

– Florian Xhekaj certainly has a very nice progression curve.

– Keith Tkachuk said that Brady and Matthew are “moody,” but it was actually a compliment.

– Worth reading.

– The bet was honored.