On Tuesday morning, the Predators resigned captain Roman Josi to a 8 year, 72 milliion dollar contract. This makes Josi the 3rd highest payed defenseman in the NHL. There was much talk about a Josi extension during the offseason, but since the season has started, talk has slowed down. Josi is one of the most important players to the Predators, and he deserves $9m per year.
On his contract, Josi also has a No Movement Clause (NMC). Players with an NMC in their contract cannot be sent to the minors, placed on waivers, or traded. The only other players on the Predators currently with any form of no trade clause is Veizna winning Goaltender, Pekka Rinne, and recently signed Center, Matt Duchene. Josi, who turned 29 in June, is currently tied for a team high 13 points in the first 11 games. Josi has had a streak of good games, and he has proven why he is worth the hefty price tag.
Roman Josi, Matthias Ekholm, and Ryan Ellis are all signed through 2022. However, Dante Fabbro will become a restricted free agent after his entry-level contract expires in 2021. The Preds have a bright future when it comes to defense but they have not been playing to well this season. During the offseason, the Predators made a clear shift from Defense to Offense after the team traded P.K. Subban and signed Matt Duchene.
I think this extension is great for both sides. Roman Josi is a multi-time allstar, Norris Trophy runner up, and captain. Josi has earned his contract, and in my opinion, he took a pretty team friendly deal. I think Josi is among the best in the league when it comes to defenseman, and David Poile made a great decision to extend him up before his contract expires next offseason.
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