Ryan O'Reilly shuts down Stanley Cup run doubters - "Why can't we contend?"

On his first encounter with the Nashville media, veteran Ryan O'Reilly lost no time in describing what he loved about the Nashville Predators squad and his motivation for joining the organization.

He was surprised by some predictions made by pundits in the media and said:

"Why can't we contend?

O'Reilly was very excited about the team and gushed about it during the press conference. He is eager to play with some of the veteran Predators players, such as goaltender Juuse Saros, Roman Josi, and Filip Forsberg.

That combination attracted the center's attention sufficiently for him to agree to a four-year, $18 million contract (with an average yearly value of 4.5 million dollars) with Nashville on July 1.

O'Reilly said:

"I think the veteran players—the way they impact the game is so impressive. To watch from last year and the youth and what they do, there's a great balance of both."

The Predators are no slouches, and O'Reilly reiterated that by saying how excited he is about joining the team:

"Coming here is something I look forward to. I think we can take a step and be right there competing for a Cup."

This is a hopeful forecast for the Nashville fan base, which is ready for a setback. This Predators squad is not the same one that won the Presidents' Trophy a few seasons ago and hoped to add a player or two to return to Stanley Cup contention. So it's good to see O'Reilly being optimistic about the chances of the team. His presence might just push them toward the top-eight spot.

Ryan O'Reilly is a former Conn Smythe Trophy winner and a great veteran presence

Ryan O'Reilly has played for the St. Louis Blues for the last five seasons before moving to the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 17. He has played in the NHL for 14 seasons.

O'Reilly, a three-year St. Louis captain, received the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player in 2018-19 after helping the Blues defeat the Boston Bruins in a seven-game series to claim the Stanley Cup.

With the Avalanche, Buffalo Sabres, Blues, and Maple Leafs through 991 NHL games, O'Reilly has accumulated 702 points (256 goals, 446 assists), as well as 65 points (25 goals, 40 assists) in 75 postseason contests.

Before being traded to Toronto, the Clinton, Ontario native had 40 points (12 goals, seven assists) in 40 games for the Blues.

O'Reilly recorded 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 13 regular-season games with the Maple Leafs and nine points (three goals, six assists) in 11 postseason games despite missing approximately a month due to a fractured finger after the trade.