NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ryan O’Reilly did not know what to expect.

It was an unfamiliar feeling for someone who has seen and done so much during 14 seasons in the NHL. But once O’Reilly closed the door on returning to Toronto, he plunged into free agency for the first time.

“It’s true what people say — it is a little crazy,” O’Reilly said last week.

Ultimately, O’Reilly landed a four-year, $18 million contract with the Nashville Predators, who, despite missing the playoffs last season, impressed him with their vision for the future under new general manager Barry Trotz. (O’Reilly’s older brother, Cal, who started his career with the Predators and rejoined the organization over the summer, also helped convince Ryan to move south.)

“There were just so many things that were attractive to here,” O’Reilly said, citing new Predators coach Andrew Brunette and the team’s existing leadership group led by captain Roman Josi as examples. “We have something here that if we do things the right way, we’re going to be very competitive.”

Unsurprisingly, O’Reilly’s decision to leave the Maple Leafs reignited discussion about the blinding Toronto spotlight and its effect on players, especially those who are from Ontario. Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving told reporters in July that “sometimes when you’re from this area, there’s a lot to it.”

“It was and is an amazing place to play,” said O’Reilly, who grew up a couple of hours west of the city. “Just putting on that jersey, you can just feel the love that comes with it, how much pride people take in that jersey. Its hockey’s team. … It was definitely not an easy decision not (to re-sign) there.”

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Although O’Reilly did not arrive in Toronto until the stretch run of the season after being traded from the St. Louis Blues, he still was swept up in the hysteria that surrounds the Maple Leafs on a daily basis.

“You could tell everything’s amplified,” O’Reilly said. “I don’t do it often, (but) it was a good thing when I played there that I didn’t turn on the TV much or turn on the radio, because there are (so many outlets) talking about it. … Everything’s covering it, talking about it. Here, it gets a little time on the TV, but it’s not everything. It is more than just a game there.”

Above all, O’Reilly said, the Predators offered him more opportunity than the Maple Leafs could. He is expected to start the season as the first-line centre and, along with former Maple Leafs defenceman Luke Schenn, play a leading role in mentoring the team’s crop of up-and-comers. (Of course, it did not hurt that the Predators offered O’Reilly, who described himself as “an old 32,” more money as well.)

O’Reilly’s time in Toronto was short, but he said he will remember it fondly.

“It’s definitely a treat and a privilege to play for an organization like that,” O’Reilly said. “If it ended up working out, I (would have been) happy there, but I just think this was the decision I wanted to do. My family thought it was better. We’ll see if it’s the right one. You never know, but so far, I’m enjoying it.”

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The Portland Trail Blazers continue to look for the best trade offer they can get for Damian Lillard, and with multiple teams jumping on board, it seems like the Miami Heat are no longer a lock to get him.

The latest reports show that the Toronto Raptors are heavily involved and interested in getting him to Canada, regardless of Lillard’s desire to play in South Florida’s warm weather.

With that in mind, NBA insider Danny Marang reports that Masai Ujiri and the Raptors won’t even consider trading former Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes to get Lillard (via Dru).

“Scottie Barnes is not factoring in this. I have heard the Raptors, that Masai — just unwilling to engage on that. The touchpoint is gonna be O.G. Anunoby & whether or not he’s included in the deal…You can bring him to Portland…or you trade him to a 3rd or 4th team”@DannyMarang pic.twitter.com/MSvk1Te4PV

— Dru (@dru_star) September 25, 2023

Instead, it’ll all depend on whether they’re willing to include O.G. Anunoby in the transaction, even if the Blazers don’t want to keep him and look to move him to another team instead.

Truth be told, it’s hard to think that Lillard would want to play for the Raptors.

The reason he wants to leave Portland is because they don’t have a championship-caliber team, and things wouldn’t be that much different up north.

Pascal Siakam is entering the final year of his contract and seems unlikely to extend his stay in Canada, and Barnes regressed vastly last season.

They lost some depth and could be even more undermanned if they also part ways with Anunoby, who’s obviously going to be instrumental in getting Lillard in the first place.

At the end of the day, though, Lillard doesn’t have a say in where he’s traded to, and the Blazers will only take the best offer, regardless of how he feels.

The post Analyst Names 1 Key Player In Raptors’ Pursuit Of Damian Lillard appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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The Golden State Warriors have had to give up on almost every single one of their youngsters.

They parted ways with James Wiseman and recently traded Jordan Poole.

Still, they held onto Jonathan Kuminga, who has shown flashes of outstanding two-way play but has struggled to find consistent playing time, especially last season.

That might not be the case next year, as coach Steve Kerr recently raved about him, stating that he’s had a very positive summer and that all the coaches have given him rave reviews throughout the course of the offseason (Via 95.7 The Game).

Kerr on Kuminga’s offseason:

“I’m excited about JK. He’s had a really good summer. I was getting reports routinely… The coaches were all raving about him, saying that he’s really worked hard.” pic.twitter.com/4Hh4GANP3P

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) September 25, 2023

Kuminga is an elite athlete and his defensive potential is through the roof.

He’s strong, physical, and can finish through contact, and while his shot is a work in progress, he has shown the ability to consistently knock down shots from mid range.

Some analysts believe he’s in for a breakout season, granted that he’s likely to have Chris Paul running the second unit.

Paul has always been wonderful for young players on the verge of a breakout, and he’ll give him the ball in the spots he needs them to be more efficient.

Kuminga has reportedly been frustrated with his lack of playing time and there were even some rumors of a potential desire to be traded.

Also, there were reports of him not seeing eye-to-eye with Draymond Green.

But he’s still quite young, and while the Warriors don’t usually favor young players or player development, this might finally be his year.

The post Steve Kerr Says He’s ‘Excited’ About 1 Warriors Player appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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