The New York Rangers have had themselves a shaky start to the 2025-26 season. The Blueshirts currently have a 15-13-4 record and are seventh in the Metropolitan Division standings. They have also lost three straight games, so they are certainly having their struggles right now.
While things have not been going amazingly for the Rangers lately, there is still hope that they can turn things around. The Rangers are currently only one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. However, things are very packed right now, as they are also just one point behind the Montreal Canadiens and two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers.
With this and the Rangers having playoff expectations, it would not be particularly surprising if they looked to make a notable move to try to boost their roster. When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, Nashville Predators star center Ryan O’Reilly would be a very good player for the Rangers to bring in.
Due to this, we here at Heavy Sports have a trade pitch that would have the Predators send O’Reilly to the Rangers in a major swap.
Rangers Get:
- Ryan O’Reilly
- 2026 Fourth-Round Pick
Predators Get:
- 2026 First-Round Pick (Top 10 Protected)
- Taylor Raddysh
- Brennan Othmann
Ryan O’Reilly Is One of the Best Trade Candidates in the NHL Right Now
The Predators are once again having a disappointing season in 2025-26. With the holiday break almost here, Nashville currently sports a 12-14-4 record. With this, the Predators are at the bottom of the Central Division standings and have only more points than the Vancouver Canucks. Thus, things are not going well for the Predators right now.
Due to the Predators’ ongoing struggles, many of their players are creating chatter in the rumor mill. Among the most notable is O’Reilly, as there is a real belief that the Predators could move the 34-year-old center before the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
Due to this, O’Reilly was given the No. 4 spot on Lyle Richardson’s latest trade board for Bleacher Report.
“The Predators’ willingness to entertain offers will likely ensure O’Reilly pops up more frequently in the rumor mill between now and the March 6 trade deadline,” Richardson wrote.
If the Predators do officially shop O’Reilly this season, the Rangers would be wise to make a push for him. He could very well be the final piece of the puzzle that helps the Rangers get back to being a legitimate playoff team again if acquired.
O’Reilly Would Give Rangers Another Star Center
If the Rangers added O’Reilly, it would give them another impactful center to work with. Having a trio of Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, and O’Reilly down the middle would certainly make the Rangers’ offense more difficult for opponents to face off against. This remains true whether O’Reilly played as the Rangers’ first-line, second-line, or third-line center.
O’Reilly’s strong two-way play would also make him a clear candidate to play on the Rangers’ power play and penalty kill. In addition, he would also give the Rangers another respected leader in their room, as he used to be the captain of the St. Louis Blues.
In 30 games so far this season with the Predators, O’Reilly has recorded 10 goals, 13 assists, 23 points, and a plus-2 rating. This is after he had 21 goals and 53 points in 79 games for Nashville in 2024-25.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Rangers Land New Star Center In Big Trade Pitch appeared first on Heavy Sports.