Nashville Predators Predictions for 2023-24: The Top Goal Scorers
By Chad Minton
#2 Goal Scorer for Nashville Predators in 2023-24: Ryan O’Reilly
The top addition for the Nashville Predators offseason is no doubt Ryan O’Reilly, and one that caught a lot of people off guard, including some Maple Leafs fans and media.
So with that said, expecting O’Reilly to finish second on the Predators in goals and coming in somewhere in the mid-20’s in goals is a bit of a reach, I know. But hear me out.
O’Reilly first and foremost will need to put together a season where he can avoid any lengthy injuries. Hopefully he has some luck come his way, because 2022-23 wasn’t kind to him while appearing in only 53 regular season games and missing around a month of action shortly after being acquired by the Maple Leafs.
Once O’Reilly was available for the Maple Leafs playoff run, he actually put together some productive games. He put up five points in a two-game stretch that saw the Maple Leafs eventually ending up rectifying their first round nightmares and eliminating the Tampa Bay Lightning.
O’Reilly finished with three goals during the Maple Leafs playoff run, and actually had his third-highest Goals Per Game average since 2015-16 when he played with the Buffalo Sabres.
With a new start in a Nashville Predators sweater, O’Reilly is going to have a newfound energy and be a focal point of leading this team out of the offensive abyss they found themselves in last season.
O’Reilly is going to enjoy a revival of sorts and put up a respectable 24 goals for the Nashville Predators in 2023-24, which will put him second on the team.
I know, I know. That would be tied for his second-highest goal total of his NHL career, so call me crazy if you’d like. It’s a hot take I’m standing by. He is just two seasons removed from scoring 24 goals for the St. Louis Blues while only playing in 56 games.