Report: Ryan O'Reilly Turns Down Maple Leafs Attempt To Re-Acquire Him

Ryan O'Reilly's name has been on the rumor mill, but Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz is giving the player the right of refusal on any potential trade, despite his lack of a no-trade clause. To that end, O'Reilly is reported to have turned down a move back to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he spent the final months of the 2023 season.

Insider Elliotte Friedman said on NHL Network:

Toronto, as a matter of fact, looked into O'Reilly, and they were told he didn't really have an interest in that reunion.

The Leafs acquired the veteran Stanley Cup-winning center at the trade deadline in 2023, and he was a key part of the team's one and only playoff series win in the Auston Matthews era. But he left the team in free agency that summer despite their attempts at re-signing him. He inked a four-year, $4.5M AAV deal with the Predators instead.

Meanwhile, Friedman says that one other Eastern Conference team, the New Jersey Devils, has been talking with the Preds about O'Reilly, so far to no avail.

The New Jersey Devils have reportedly checked in on Ryan O'Reilly, but Nashville isn't in a hurry to trade him. @FriedgeHNIC talks about O'Reilly's situation in Nashville.@asgrimson | #NJDevils | #Smashville | #NHLTradeDeadline pic.twitter.com/1eDBgisjao
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) March 7, 2025