Nashville Predators centre Ryan O’Reilly suffered an eye injury in the team’s 3-2 loss to the Blue Jackets in Columbus on Tuesday and will be evaluated when the team returns home later in the week.
“For those who are concerned about Ryan O’Reilly, we expect that he is going to be OK,” the team said in a statement, per team reporter Brooks Bratten. “He is flying home with the team from Columbus tonight and will be evaluated by our medical team in Nashville. We expect to have an update on his playing status sometime on Thursday.”
O’Reilly logged 18:36 of ice time in the loss, but suffered the eye injury late in the third period after he was struck by a stick in the area. He recorded his 22nd goal of the season in the second period to give Nashville a 2-1 lead.
The injury to the 35-year-old O’Reilly could alter the landscape of the trade deadline on Friday, if it is determined the veteran centre will have to miss significant time.
A Conn Smythe winner with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, O’Reilly has 22 goals and 59 points in 61 games this season – his third in Nashville.
O’Reilly ranked 13th on TSN’s latest Trade Bait board earlier in February, and Nashville is expected to be sellers at the deadline after suffering their third consecutive loss to drop to 11th in the Western Conference.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Predators completed two separate deals to send forwards Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild and Cole Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Predators are six points behind the Edmonton Oilers for the final wild-card slot in the conference and also have to pass the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks to get to that spot.
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