O'Reilly signs 4-year, $18 million contract with Predators

Ryan O'Reilly signed a four-year $18 million contract with the Nashville Predators on Saturday. It has an average annual value of $4.5 million.

The 32-year-old forward was an unrestricted free agent. He had 30 points (16 goals, 14 assists) in 53 regular-season games for the Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues last season, including 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 13 games after he was acquired in a three-way trade with the Blues and Minnesota Wild on Feb. 17. He had nine points (three goals, six assists) in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

"I can tell you this: Ryan O'Reilly is the first guy probably at the rink every morning," Predators general manager Barry Trotz said Saturday before the contract was announced. "I haven't had him full time. I've just done some tournament-based things with him. He's the first guy at the rink, the first guy on the ice, the last guy off the ice. This guy, he loves the game. To me, you want guys that love to compete, love the game and we've got a bunch of them here."

RELATED: [2023 NHL Free Agent Tracker]

Selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round (No. 33) of the 2009 NHL Draft, O'Reilly has 702 points (256 goals, 446 assists) in 991 regular-season games for the Maple Leafs, Blues, Sabres and Avalanche, and 65 points (25 goals, 40 assists) in 75 playoff games. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the postseason when he had 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 26 games to help St. Louis defeat the Boston Bruins in seven games of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.

"What areas does he not affect?" Trotz said. "He has an effect on the offensive zone. He has an effect on the defensive zone. He has an effect in the face-off circle. He has effect in late-game situations offensively and defensively. People follow him. People do the things that are not always easy to do, to win. He does that all over the ice."

The Predators signed Gustav Nyquist a two-year, $6.37 million contract Saturday. It has an average annual value of $3.185 million. The 33-year-old forward, who was an unrestricted free agent, had 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 51 regular-season games for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild last season, including five points (one goal, four assists) in three games after he was acquired in a trade with the Blue Jackets on Feb. 28. He had five assists in six Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the fourth round (No. 121) of the 2008 NHL Draft, Nyquist has 428 points (175 goals, 253 assists) in 703 regular-season games for the Red Wings, San Jose Sharks, Blue Jackets and Wild and 26 points (five goals, 21 assists) in 71 postseason games.

Luke Schenn signed a three-year, $8.25 million contract, with an average annual value of $2.75 million. The 33-year-old defenseman had 22 points (four goals, 18 assists) in 70 regular-season games for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks last season, including one goal in 15 games after he was acquired in a trade with the Canucks on Feb. 28.

Nashville also signed restricted free agent defenseman Alexandre Carrier to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. He had nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 43 games last season. The 26-year-old has 42 points (six goals, 36 assists) in 144 regular-season games and five assists in 10 playoff games, all with the Predators after they selected him in the fourth round (No. 115) of the 2015 NHL Draft.

NHL.com independent correspondent John Glennon contributed to this report