O'Reilly previously played for the Maple Leafs in 2023. (Christopher Hanewinckel, Imagn Images)Despite interest from his old Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators forward Ryan O'Reilly did not, in fact, have any desire for a potential reunion with his hometown team.
O'Reilly, 34, was actually quite productive in his short time with the Maple Leafs, scoring a total of seven goals and 20 points in 24 total regular and postseason games.
The former Stanley Cup champion reportedly accepted less money than what the Maple Leafs were offering when he inked a four-year, $18 million deal with the Predators on July 1, 2023.
Rejecting more money from his hometown team after a successful tenure with them should say all there is to know about O'Reilly's thought process there.
Emma Lingan of The Hockey News has confirmed O'Reilly's disinterest in a reunion with Toronto.
The New Jersey Devils are another team reportedly interested in the Predators forward leading up to Friday's 2 p.m. NHL trade deadline, though it is unclear if O'Reilly is interested in going back East or if the two sides came close to an agreement.
The Devils are currently coached by Sheldon Keefe, who was O'Reilly's head coach during his four-month stint with the Maple Leafs.
With O'Reilly off the table, the Maple Leafs were forced to pivot to Philadelphia center Scott Laughton, who is reportedly heading to Toronto with just over two hours to the deadline.
Laughton, like O'Reilly, has some term left on his contract with two years remaining at a $3 million cap hit.