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Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Vancouver Canucks (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images)

Trade Destinations for Predators’ O’Reilly & Stamkos

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Alex Chauvancy | Last updated Dec 10, 2025 9:35 AM ET

There aren’t many sellers as we approach the NHL holiday roster freeze, which begins on Dec. 19 and runs through Dec. 28. That means we might not see much trade action, but one team seems to be open for business: the Nashville Predators.

The Predators are off to another poor start and looked poised to be in the running for Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Keaton Verhoeff in the 2026 NHL Draft. Two names who have already come up in trade rumors are Steven Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly. Let’s look at what each player has to offer and who could be suitors for them.

What O’Reilly & Stamkos Have Left to Offer

Part of why the Predators have struggled to accumulate wins over the last season and a half is due to a free-agent spending splurge in 2024 that completely backfired. Among those signings was Stamkos, who inked a four-year contract worth $8 million per year.

Stamkos was coming off an 81-point season in his final year with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but the warning signs were already there. He finished that final season in Tampa totaling 40 of his 81 points on the power play. The five-on-five play had already begun to drop off, and the Predators found out the hard way that Stamkos wasn’t the player he once was.

Since joining the Predators, Stamkos is averaging just 1.26 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five. This season alone, he has just five five-on-five points, and only two of his eight goals have come at five-on-five. That continues a trend that began even before his final season in Tampa.

Stamkos’ total five-on-five goals since 2021-22:

2021-22: 22
2022-23: 16
2023-24: 14
2024-25: 11

At his current rate, Stamkos is on pace for just six five-on-five goals this season. His play-driving ability is not what it used to be, even though he has an on-ice expected goals share (xG%) of 54.78 percent this season. He’s essentially a power-play weapon at this point in his career, so any interested team has to be comfortable knowing that’s what he has left to offer.

It’s a different story with O’Reilly, though. The Predators may not be any good, but that hasn’t affected O’Reilly’s play. He’s on pace for 62 points and has an xG% of 55.21, one of the top xG shares among Predators skaters. He’s also been their most efficient five-on-five scorer, averaging 2.40 points per 60 minutes.

O’Reilly may be 34, but he’s not showing any signs of decline. If there’s a player the Predators could extract value from in a trade, it’s O’Reilly and not Stamkos. Their ask is reportedly a first-round pick and an A-level prospect for O’Reilly. I wouldn’t hold my breath for an A-level prospect, but that ask may not be as outrageous as it first seemed.

So, which teams could have interest in either player? Let’s examine a couple of candidates.

New Jersey Devils

The Devils have already been linked to Stamkos and O’Reilly, so let’s start there. O’Reilly makes the most sense for the Devils since they desperately need to improve their center depth with Jack Hughes out of the lineup. Elliotte Friedman reported on the Dec. 8 episode of 32 Thoughts that the Devils really like O’Reilly, so there’s probably a deal to be made here.

The Devils have their first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 and should be willing to part with one of them for O’Reilly. Their prospect pool isn’t what it once was, but second-tier prospects like Seamus Casey, Lenni Hämeenaho and Conrad Fondrk could interest the Predators. (Keep that type of return in mind for the rest of this article). I don’t think someone like Šimon Nemec would be available in a trade for O’Reilly, and that’s probably wishful thinking on the Predators’ part anyway.

Stamkos would give the Devils a finisher, but there are too many red flags in his game to make a trade worthwhile. I’m not even sure what Stamkos’ value is at this point, but he may just be a cap dump. If it’s a trade for Stamkos alone, a second-round pick and a B-prospect seem like a fair price for him. He just isn’t what he used to be.

Montreal Canadiens (O’Reilly)

The Canadiens are in a somewhat similar position to the Devils, as injuries to Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook have hurt their center depth. Oliver Kapanen, who has held down the fort well enough, is currently the team’s second-line center, but they could use an upgrade.

O’Reilly would be a perfect fit for the Canadiens if he’s willing to play there. While he doesn’t have any no-trade or no-move clauses, the Predators will treat him as if he has one. If he’s willing to accept a trade to Montreal, he’d give the team an immediate upgrade down the middle and a formidable one-two punch with Nick Suzuki as their first-line center.

Detroit Red Wings (Stamkos)

One complication for any team trying to acquire Stamkos is his contract. His deal runs through the 2027-28 season at a cap hit of $8 million. That’s probably a price too high for most teams to consider, and I doubt the Predators will be willing to retain salary for that long. They’ll want the whole contract off the books.

The Red Wings, however, are one team that can afford to take on the entirety of Stamkos’ contract. They currently have just over $12.4 million in cap space, and there’s the Steve Yzerman connection from their days together in Tampa Bay. The Red Wings may have bigger things on their mind (i.e., a Quinn Hughes trade), but Stamkos would give them another finisher for their top six and power play.

Utah Mammoth (O’Reilly)

The Mammoth’s center depth with Logan Cooley was a bit suspect, but it’s in even worse shape with him out for an extended period. Nick Schmaltz has played center before, but that’s not his primary position. They now have Schmaltz and Barrett Hayton as their top two centers, so the Mammoth could use an upgrade.

Even when Cooley returns, having O’Reilly as your No. 2 center and dropping Hayton into a more suitable third-line role would make the Mammoth a legit playoff contender in the West. The key with O’Reilly is that he’s not a rental. His contract runs through the end of next season at a cap hit of just $4.5 million. So any team, from the Mammoth to the Devils, could get two hypothetical playoff runs from him if he’s willing to accept a trade out of Nashville.

Stamkos’ best days may be behind him, but the Predators shouldn’t have trouble getting some value for O’Reilly, especially since so many teams are looking for centers. It’ll be interesting to see how it unfolds, but they need to get any hypothetical O’Reilly trade right to kickstart a much-needed rebuild.

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