The Nashville Predators signed defenceman Ryan Ellis to an eight-year contract extension, the team announced Tuesday.
Ellis’s deal is worth $50 million and his new $6.25-million salary cap hit will kick in at beginning of the 2019-20 campaign. He has one year remaining on his current deal, so his cap hit for the upcoming season is a team friendly $2.5 million.
The 27-year-old is an integral member of the staunch Predators blue line that also boasts P.K. Subban, Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm.
Ellis missed the start of 2017-18 as he recovered from off-season knee surgery but managed nine goals and a career-high 23 assists in the 44 regular-season games he did suit up for.
“Ryan is a huge part of our team on and off the ice and we are happy to have his leadership remain in our locker room for the foreseeable future,” Predators general manager David Poile said in a press release. “We have talked about wanting to keep the core of our team together, and this is another opportunity to help us do so while continuing to compete for a Stanley Cup. Ryan is entering his prime and is one of the reasons why we feel this team has a chance to win every time we step on the ice.”
The Hamilton, Ont., native has shone in the post-season throughout his career, too, averaging 23:24 in ice-time while blocking 118 shots in 58 career playoff games. He also holds the distinction of scoring the first Stanley Cup Final goal in franchise history when the Preds came within two wins of a championship in 2017.
Ellis has spent his entire 396-game NHL career with the Preds, the team that drafted him 11th overall in 2009, collecting 55 goals and 118 assists for 173 points along the way.
August 14, 2018