Over the past 72 hours, another popular rumor has swirled around the NHL about another player getting traded from the Nashville Predators. 

Ryan O'Reilly, who's had his fair share of trade rumors throughout the season, has seen a massive spike in chatter.

National media outlets have mentioned teams like the Maple Leafs, Capitals, Devils, and Avalanche as potential destinations for the Predators' assistant captain.

On the surface, it'd make sense.

He leads the Predators in scoring with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 34 games as the first-line center with Filip Forsberg and Luke Evangelista. At 34 years old and in the third year of a 4-year, $18 million contract with a AAV of $4.5 million, O'Reilly is a player a lot of teams could realistically go after.  

He's a veteran who is over-performing for his age and doesn't cost much. A handful of outlets have gone as far as saying he should be in a third-line role and not in such an amplified role in Nashville. Less pressure to play on a contender.  

Given his age, it's assumed that O'Reilly would like to compete for another cup before he retires. He's currently playing on the Predators team that is tied for last place in the NHL after starting the first month and a half of the season at 6-12-4. 

O'Reilly has been vocal about his own individual frustrations, giving himself a tongue-lashing after a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 6. 

"I know for myself, I'm the number one center and I'm turning the puck over wherever," O'Reilly said. "I can't make a 6-foot pass to save my life. You're not going to have much success if I'm playing pathetic like that...I've had one good year in my career." 

That quote alone is one that many experts and analysts have gone back to in defense of O'Reilly's "not being happy in Nashville." 

All of that makes a good defense as to why O'Reilly would be gone by the trade deadline, but taking a closer look at the Predators, currently, and O'Reilly, it feels like the rumors are a lot of noise with little or dated substance. 

A lot has happened since O'Reilly made that comment after the Flyers game. Nashville has won eight of its last 12, most recently defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-3, on Saturday. 

In that stretch, O'Reilly has scored 15 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 12 games, playing an integral role in the Predators' turnaround and logging top-line minutes. 

A lot of what the Predators have been doing lately has been conveniently voided when talking about why O'Reilly should leave. Both head coach Andrew Brunette and the players have said over the last few games that the work and effort are beginning to pay off, and they're starting to get positive results. 

O'Reilly is playing well and is now getting support for the first time this season. He most likely wants to see how this run will play out, at least, instead of leaving right in the middle of it. 

Then there's the word "rebuild," which is more complex than just burning everything down and starting from scratch. General manager Barry Trotz has said before that the team is rebuilding, but not in the sense of a ground-up rebuild.

They want to progressively get younger players into the line up and have them working with the veterans. Evangelista has been a prime example of that, 23-years old on the first line, playing with O'Reilly and Forsberg, and amounting 24 points in 33 games. 

Veterans rumored to want to leave are expected to play a significant role in ushering in the next generation. Dumping them off would go against what we've been hearing about for the last five months. 

But that's not to say Trotz isn't entertaining the idea of trading players. That's still happening, but not in the sense of giant blockbuster deals. 

Defenseman Spencer Stastney is an example of that, who was traded to the Edmonton Oilers this season for a 2027 third-rounder. He's a player who has had a good, steady year, but is not one of the Predators' superstars.

Those are the kind of players that Trotz will be trying to get more from in the market. 

While everyone is talking about O'Reilly, Steven Stamkos and Juuse Saros, they should be focused more on Michael Bunting, Erik Haula and Nick Blankenburg. 

Bunting specifically, who has 19 points in 34 games on Nashville's third line, could be huge for any team looking to add bottom-six depth. Haula leads the Predators on power play points with eight and is a veteran center. 

Blankenburg, despite being on the shorter side at 5-feet-9-inches, gave the Predators an unexpected spark from the blue line, tallying 14 points, which is the second most among defenseman. Roman Josi leads that category with 15 points. 

Contract-wise, Bunting is in the final year of a 3-year, $13.5 million contract with an AAV of $4.5 million. Haula is in the final year of a 3-year, $9.45 million deal with a $3.15 annual hit. Blankenburg is in the final year of a 2-year, $1.55 million contract with a $775,00 AAV. 

They're pieces that you can move around instead of having to fill in giant gaps. Good hockey players who will heighten any team's interest in the league and help the Predators become deeper. 

And then there is the most apparent reason why an O'Reilly trade isn't going to happen anytime soon: he doesn't want to leave Nashville yet. 

Pierre LeBrun reported on Dec. 19 that O'Reilly informed interested teams that he "isn't ready to entertain the idea of a trade at this time." He added that he likes Nashville and wants to be part of the solution rather than abandon ship. 

LeBrun even added in The Athletic article that an O'Reilly trade "may not happen at all." 

If the personal aspects count for anything, O'Reilly would also be moving a wife and four kids to the next team. He is also somewhat involved in the Nashville music scene, singing backup vocals for an Irish bluegrass band called JigJam and recently releasing a children's song. 

He's in Nashville to play hockey, but this is the best NHL market to be as a musician. 

O'Reilly getting traded isn't the craziest thing in the world, but given the current state of the Predators and their future intentions, it doesn't make sense why he'd want to leave now or why the team would want to trade him. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins will play the second half of a home-and-home against the Montreal Canadiens in Pittsburgh on Sunday evening. 

The first game took place inside the Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday night, and the Canadiens won, 4-0. The Penguins were blanked for a second straight game and have lost eight in a row heading into Sunday's game. 

They continue to look like a broken team with no answers. However, that can start to change if they can find a way to win this game. 

Jacob Fowler recorded his first career NHL shutout for the Canadiens on Saturday and it's the second time that he has played well against the Penguins this year. The Penguins will likely avoid him on Sunday since Jakub Dobes is in line to get the start. Dobes is 12-5-2 with a 2.91 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage this year. 

Arturs Silovs will likely start in goal for the Penguins after Stuart Skinner was the starter on Saturday night. Head coach Dan Muse may announce other lineup changes during his media availability before the game. 

Puck drop for this game will be at 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Fans can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild (22-9-5) has been nearly flawless for six weeks. Since Nov. 7, they’re 17-2-2 and rolling through opponents. they face the Colorado Avalanche (25-2-7) for a huge matchup.

The last time these two teams met the Wild ended the Avalanche’s 10-game winning streak in a shootout victory.

Here are tonight's news and notes for the game.

Minnesota is 62-55-13 all-time against the Avalanche and 35-26-5 on home ice. The Wild’s 35 all-time home wins over Colorado is their most against any single opponent, while their 137 points and 62 wins ranks second.

Connections:

Forward Yakov Trenin recorded two goals and three points in 16 games with the Avalanche in 2023-24. Colorado defenseman Brent Burns was selected by Minnesota in the first round (20th overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft and collected 183 points (55-128=183) and 325 PIM in 453 games with the Wild across seven seasons

Avs forward Brock Nelson is from Warroad and defenseman Sam Malinski is from Lakeville.

Stats:

Vladimir Tarasenko leads Minnesota with 35 points (15-20=35) in 47 games against Colorado. Mats Zuccarello owns 33 points in 35 career games and Kirill Kaprizov has 14 goals and 22 points in 18 games against the Avalanche.

Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avalanche with goals with 24, assists with 41 and points with 65 in 52 career games against Minnesota. Gabe Landeskog has 21 goals and 43 points in 50 games and defenseman Cale Makar has 23 points in 26 games against the Wild.

Filip Gustavsson is 2-7-1 with a 3.81 GAA and a .884 SV% in nine starts against Colorado. Jesper Wallstedt is 1-0-0 with a 1.85 GAA and a .951 SV% in his lone start.

Mackenzie Blackwood has a 2-4-2 record with a 2.72 GAA and a .904 SV% in eight career starts vs. Minnesota. Wedgewood is 1-2-2 with a 2.70 GAA and a .913 SV% in six games (four starts) against the Wild.

'Structure Over Speed': How the Wild’s Structure Neutralized Colorado’s Elite Rush GameWild's disciplined structure stifled Colorado's elite rush attack. Learn how defensive execution and forward support neutralized the Avalanche's potent offense.

Milestones:

Tarasenko has four goals and six points during an active three-game point streak and has five goals and nine points in his last seven games.

Kirill Kaprizov is currently tied for second in franchise history with 145 power-play points (70-75=145).

Trenin notched nine hits against the Oilers which tied his season high. He leads the NHL with 179 hits, the highest total in franchise history through a season’s first 36 games.

Matt Boldy and Kaprizov were Minnesota’s co-leaders in goals in November, with each player scoring 10 goals in 14 games. It marked the first time in team history that the Wild had two players each score 10 or more goals in the same calendar month.

Both Boldy and Kaprizov have over 20 goals this season. They are the only team in the NHL to have multiple players hit that mark.

Boldy extend his active goal and point streaks to four games (5 goals and 3 assists), tying his career-long goal streak set earlier this season. He has seven goals and seven assists in his last eight games.

Kaprizov is 11 points away from passing Marian Gaborik for second all-time in career points with the Wild.

Kirill Kaprizov Sets Minnesota Wild Franchise Record For Most Home GoalsKirill Kaprizov shattered a Wild home goal record, igniting a pivotal clash against the surging Avalanche with two electrifying second-period strikes.

Records:

Minnesota has won seven consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NHL, tied for the team’s longest streak of the season and tied for the fourth longest in franchise history.

All seven of the Wild's wins in the current winning streak have come in regulation, tying the franchise record for most consecutive wins in regulation.

The Wild rank third in the NHL with 49 points (22-9-5) and hold an active 14-game home point streak (12-0-2) since Nov. 1, the longest run in franchise history and the second-longest streak in the NHL this season (COL, active 16 game streak).

Minnesota is 19-3-2 (.833) since Nov. 1, ranking first in the NHL in wins, points (40), team GAA (1.76) and team SV% (.939) while ranking second with a plus-37 goal differential.

Minnesota is 22-9-5 which is third in the Central Division and third in the NHL.

Minnesota is 8-2-0 in its last ten games and 19-3-2 since Nov 1. ranking first in the NHL in wins.

Colorado is 25-2-7 which is first in the Central Division and first in the NHL.

Colorado is 8-1-1 in its last ten games and 18-1-3 since Nov 1. Ranks third in the NHL in that span. They have scored 91 goals in that span which ranks second behind the Dallas Stars.

The Avalanche have allowed the second-fewest goals with 45 since then and rank only behind the Wild's 43. Colorado is leading the NHL in shots per game with 35 since Nov 1.

Colorado leads the NHL with 41 goals scored in the first period. The Wild are second in goals allowed in the first period and first since Nov 1.

The Wild are 17-3-3 when scoring first. They trail the Avalanche who are 18-1-4 when scoring first.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Recent Minnesota Wild Stories

Quinn Hughes ‘Extremely Open-Minded’ About Future With Wild After First Night In MinnesotaHughes arrives in Minnesota, impressing immediately with his calm demeanor and on-ice performance, fueling excitement for his future with the Wild.

- 'You Want To Get Out Of Your Zone': Why Quinn Hughes Changes The Game For The Wild.

- 'We Want To Compete For The Stanley Cup': Why Bill Guerin Went All In.

- Wild Acquire Quinn Hughes From Vancouver For Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi And More.

- When The Ice Shrinks, The Wild's Game Is Built To Hold Up.

- 'Sometimes You Gotta Look Yourself In The Mirror': Matt Boldy's Message Has Now Become The Wild's Mantra.

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

While Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson didn't get off to the kind of start that he wanted in his first several starts since being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks during the offseason, he's been making up for it in a big way.

He made 24 saves in Detroit's win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon, helping the Red Wings pick up their seventh win in their last 10 games. 

For Gibson, it was his seventh straight victory, tying his previous career-best as a member of the Ducks. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

And that's not all.

It’s now the longest winning streak by a Red Wings goaltender since 2012. The last goalie to win seven consecutive games for Detroit isn’t a name that immediately comes to mind for most Red Wings fans: Joey MacDonald.

MacDonald was in his second tenure with the Red Wings, with whom he originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2002. He also spent time with the Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Montreal Canadiens. 

MacDonald then finished his professional career with the Schwenninger Wild Wings of the German DEL. 

After posting two shutouts in three games, Gibson was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week — a performance that led head coach Todd McLellan to say he looks much more like his old self, the one McLellan routinely coached against while with the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings.

“Just looks like Gibby,” McLellan said. "He’s confident. The guys feel really good about playing around him. There’s less pucks coming off him, more whistles, very efficient.”

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

A former Buffalo Sabres goaltender is taking his talents overseas. 

Lowen Frankfurt of the DEL in Germany has announced that they have signed former Sabres goalie Dustin Tokarski for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. 

Tokarski had been on a professional tryout (PTO) with the Detroit Red Wings' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, before signing with Lowen Frankfurt. In two games with the Griffins during his PTO, he recorded a 1-0-0 record, a .929 save percentage, and a 1.92 goals-against average. Now, he will be looking to make an impact with Lowen Frankfurt after signing with the German club. 

Tokarski appeared in 42 games over two seasons with the Sabres from 2020-21 to 2021-22, where he recorded a 12-20-7 record, a .901 save percentage, a 3.35 goals-against average, and one shutout. He also had an 11-9-3 record, a .890 save percentage, and a 3.32 goals-against average in 24 games during the 2023-24 season with the Sabres' AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. 

In 86 career NHL games over 10 seasons split between the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Carolina Hurricanes, Tokarski posted a 27-36-12 record, a .902 save percentage, and a 3.37 goals-against average. 

Coming into Saturday night, it had been about a year and 36 games since Nashville Predators defenseman Adam Wilsby felt the thrill of putting a puck into the net.

The native of Stockholm, Sweden finally lit the lamp for only the second time in his NHL career in the Predators' 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Bridgestone Arena Saturday.

With the Leafs in front 2-1 late in the second period, Filip Forsberg picked off a pass and fed the puck to Ryan O’Reilly. Toronto goaltender Joseph Woll got out of position, and ‘The Factor’ found a wide-open Wilsby in the slot.

The 6-foot-1, 192-pound left-shot defenseman didn’t miss, tying the game with 33 seconds left in the frame. The goal came on a 4-on-4 following unsportsmanlike conduct minors to the Preds’ Nicolas Hague and the Leafs’ Simon Benoit.

"I just saw the lane opening up and I just tried to shoot as hard as I can and it went in," Wilsby said after the game. "There was a lot of, 'oh my God, wow' on the bench. It was a really cool goal."

Wilsby’s goal ended up being a critical turning point in the game. The Preds were outplaying Toronto, outshooting them 15-6 in the period and 24-14 through the first 40 minutes. A goal the other way might have given the Leafs new life and changed the complexion of the game.

At the 9:28 mark of the third period, Luke Evangelista put Nashville ahead on a highlight-reel between-the-legs backhander after getting behind a Toronto defender.

The goal sent a buzz through Bridgestone Arena and the hockey world.

OH. MY. GOODNESS. 😱

LUKE EVANGELISTA, TAKE A BOW

📺: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctFpic.twitter.com/cepyeREd0r

— NHL (@NHL) December 21, 2025

The Leafs pulled Woll for the extra attacker late in the third, and Steven Stamkos tallied a big insurance empty-netter for a 4-2 Preds lead with 1:34 remaining in regulation.

Jake McCabe narrowed the gap to 4-3 with 49 seconds left, but Cole Smith sealed the 5-3 triumph with an empty-netter of his own.

"It was a great crowd and we had a lot of good energy throughout the game and we're happy with our effort," Wilsby said.

Wilsby’s first NHL goal also came in the month of December. In a 2-0 shutout victory over the New York Rangers at Bridgestone Arena on Dec. 17, 2024, he jumped on a loose puck at the point, deked a Rangers defender and sniped in a shot from the slot for a 2-0 lead, which held up for the final score.

That goal was a form of redemption for Wilsby, who had one waved off the previous week in Dallas against the Stars after an offside review. He finally got one that counted the next week against the Rangers, and his second career goal on Saturday gave the Preds a big lift.

Ironically, the Rangers come to Bridgestone Arena Sunday on the second night of a back-to-back for both teams. Puck drop is set for 6 Pm CT.