Ryan O'Reilly
Sure, we heard Trotz say that Ryan O'Reilly is being treated as if he has a trade clause, but that doesn't mean that will remain the same next year. The NHLPA poll showed that nearly 10% of the league's players would choose Factor if they needed to win a faceoff. He's a Stanley Cup winner, Conn Smythe, Frank J. Selke, and Lady Byng award winner. O'Reilly is still the hardware heavy player he once was with St. Louis.
O'Reilly recorded 69 points last season—his highest point total since 2018-19 season—consisting of 26 goals and 43 assists. This year, he has 20 goals and 30 assists for 50 points. He has two more years left on his $4.5 million AAV contract after July 1st. Factor has no clause under his deal, but he is being tucked away and out of sight of the Preds trading block. With it obvious that the team is no longer competitive as of now, Trotz may change his mind.
We could possibly see a trade between Factor and a cup-contending team where a decent pick and maybe a prospect is swapped. He is 34-years-old but hasn't shown much decline. That's a very comforting sign for both the Predators and other interested teams. Would we get a big first rounder? It's highly unlikely but something like a late first to early second is reasonable.