Nashville, Tenn. (July 1, 2023) – Nashville Predators General Manager Barry Trotz announced today that the team has signed forward Ryan O’Reilly to a four-year, $18 million contract.
O’Reilly, 32 (2/7/91), won the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy with St. Louis in 2019 and has collected numerous other accolades during his 14-year NHL career, including the Selke Trophy (2019), Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (2014) and three trips to the NHL All-Star Game. This past season, the 6-foot-1, 207-pound center recorded 30 points (16g-14a) in 53 games with St. Louis and Toronto and added nine points (3g-6a) in 11 postseason appearances, helping lead the Maple Leafs to a first-round victory over Tampa Bay. O’Reilly had 10 points (12g-7a) in 40 games to begin the campaign before a trade to Toronto ended his five-year tenure with St. Louis; following the acquisition, he produced at nearly a point-per-game rate, owning four goals and seven assists in 13 regular-season appearances for the Maple Leafs.
Originally drafted by Colorado in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft, O’Reilly enters the 2023-24 season just nine game shy of 1,000 in his NHL career, having previously played for the Avalanche, Sabres, Blues and Maple Leafs. He eclipsed the 700-point mark at the end of last season; his 702 career points (256g-446a) are the third-most among all players drafted in 2009. In addition to captaining St. Louis for three seasons from 2020-23, O’Reilly has finished in the Top-10 in voting for the Lady Byng seven times and the Selke Trophy six times; those awards are given to the player who exhibits the best sportsmanship and conduct and the top defensive forward, respectively. During St. Louis’ run to the 2019 Stanley Cup, he tied for the lead among all NHL skaters in postseason points with 23 and was third in assists with 15. His 75 career Stanley Cup Playoff games are now tied for the third-most out of all players currently on Nashville’s roster.
O’Reilly – who spent four seasons as teammates with Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie in Colorado from 2011-15 – is a native of Clinton, Ont., and has represented Canada at the international level several times, winning gold at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and claiming the title at back-to-back World Championships in 2015 and 2016. He earned silver in the 2017 World Championship, also as a teammate of Barrie’s, and skated for Canada in the 2009 U-18 World Championship. His brother, Cal, was drafted by Nashville in the fifth round (150th overall) of the 2005 NHL Draft and appeared in 85 career games for the Predators from 2008-12.
Source: Nashville Predators
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