After years as one of the NHL's best bargains, defenseman Roman Josi is getting a significant raise with the Nashville Predators.
On Tuesday, the team announced an eight-year contract extension for Josi, 29, that will average $9.059 million per season annually against the salary cap. The contract begins in the 2020-21 season, when Josi would be the third-highest-paid defenseman in the NHL on average behind Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks ($11.5 million) and Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings ($11 million).
Hey there, Captain ?
(with a special appearance by @RyanJohansen19 ?)#Preds pic.twitter.com/Dyr0MvVboS
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) October 29, 2019
"Roman Josi is one of the top defensemen in the National Hockey League and our team leader as captain," general manager David Poile said in a statement. "As he enters his prime, we look forward to Roman continuing to showcase his elite skills in Smashville and guiding our team in pursuit of the ultimate goal, the Stanley Cup."
In June 2013, Josi signed a seven-year deal worth just $4 million against the salary cap. His base salary of $4 million for the 2019-20 season ranked 85th among NHL defensemen.
This season, Josi has 13 points in 11 games for the Predators, averaging 24:32 minutes per game. Drafted by the Predators at 38th overall in 2008, the Switzerland native has played in 574 games over nine seasons with 98 goals and 263 assists. He was selected for two NHL All-Star Games.
The contract carries a full no-move clause, which is a novelty under Nashville general manager David Poile. Only one other player on the Predators, goalie Pekka Rinne, has a contract with trade protection.
Josi was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Nashville's desire to re-sign him was one of the factors in their trade of defenseman P.K. Subban to the New Jersey Devils during the offseason, taking Subban's $9 million cap hit through 2022 off the books.