Confirmed with Link: Preds Sign Mattias Ekholm to 6-year Extension

[Flgatorguy87]

Mattias Ekholm

He's been extended. Reports are 6 years/22 million.

https://twitter.com/PredsNHL/status/658659476829044737

Click to read more...

 

[Drake744]

 

[Filip Forceberg]

Yet another fantastic contract from Poile.

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Yet another fantastic contract from Poile.

A little over 3.5 per. I'm good with that. I also think we've yet to see his ceiling.

 

[Byrddog]

Nice deal even better term

 

[Flgatorguy87]

Loving these deals on our blue line

 

[gratefulpred]

This is awesome! I can now pull the trigger on a 14 jersey for my wife since he is her favorite!

 

[Pred303]

another solid signing. like how we have locked up so many key players here ahead of forsberg and jones deals coming due

 

[Montross]

Thumbs up.

 

[triggrman]

Thought he'd be well over 4M a year.

Really good deal.

 

[Byrddog]

another solid signing. like how we have locked up so many key players here ahead of forsberg and jones deals coming due

Agree but the two that are still up in the air right now roughly 8 mil to sign FF9 and Jones. The others need contracts that can be cost controlled. Im still not sure Poile can fit both Jones and FF9 in. Unless Buttman can pull a rabbit out of his ass again and get a cap increase. The Loonie is projected to go as low as .68 which under the formula Buttman put out a year ago the cap would be about 68 mil.

I do expect FF9 will be the first to be done.

 

[triggrman]

12 players under contract for next season right now with a cap hit of just over 52M. That gives us almost 20m to sign Forsberg, Jones and a bunch of bottom line players.

http://www.spotrac.com/nhl/nashville-predators/cap/2016/

 

[Pred303]

yeah i think it's worrying about nothing. we are in fine shape cap wise, with more flexibility than any of our real rivals.

 

[Drake744]

I think it's funny that this season we're paying Josi, Ekholm, Ellis, Jones and Jackman less than 10 million combined. I mean, Weber is making 14 million, but still.

 

[preds1]

Great news!!

 

[triggrman]

I think it's funny that this season we're paying Josi, Ekholm, Ellis, Jones and Jackman less than 10 million combined. I mean, Weber is making 14 million, but still.

Only 12 next year......

 

[Byrddog]

12 players under contract for next season right now with a cap hit of just over 52M. That gives us almost 20m to sign Forsberg, Jones and a bunch of bottom line players.

http://www.spotrac.com/nhl/nashville-predators/cap/2016/

In a vacuum that is correct but to just resign what we have in my estimation is not good enough. Its just my opinion but tying up a large contract in Jones and leaving the forwards the same is not the best way to go. Poile needs to sign at least one more top 6 guy to push Wilson or Smith down bot would be a best case scenario. Promoting from within or signing 3rd liners continues to hold this team back from where they could go. If it means trading Weber or Jones to get it done so be it the rest of the blueline is cost controlled. Some that is still to be addressed is the back-up goalie situation Hutton has to be replaced and with his contract up then is the time.

 

[Pred303]

lol byrd, it looks like you just look for things to worry about.

 

[Byrddog]

I think it's funny that this season we're paying Josi, Ekholm, Ellis, Jones and Jackman less than 10 million combined. I mean, Weber is making 14 million, but still.

While real dollars spent is important the cap hit of the blue line is right at 20 mil this year.

 

[Scoresberg]

Great signing, Poile. Again.

 

[Byrddog]

lol byrd, it looks like you just look for things to worry about.

Steve really I do not worry at all. I look to ways to make this team better long term logically. And to tell you the truth it is coming to a point of no return for this team. The team is out of whack with a Trotz type D corp and an offensive coach with Lavi.

Steve can you honestly say that this team is better than the Karyia, Arnott, Dumont, Sullivan, era team? Im not talking potential Im talking about a complete team getting it done on the ice. I think not on any given night any old the old guys could have an off night and someone would pick it up. Now that's just not the case and when FF9, Neal and Wilson, Rinne cool off this team will tailspin. This is the most over rated team we have ever had. The inflated hopes and expectations of the people here make me laugh. because when the team hits a wall just like last year people implode. Or how about two years ago when the majority wanted to TANK. Well the reason is the on ice performance of the players not living up to there potential.

Which way is this team going to go at this point I have no idea. I do like Ekholms term and salary. The guy just does his job nothing flashy which in my opinion is good.

 

[Pred303]

this team is a much different team than the kariya team. that team should have been better than it was certainly, and it damn sure was more dangerous offensively. but our defensive corps right now is far ddeper and more solid than that team was.

i think you really underestimate what this team is capable of, and did last year's team all year as well.

 

[Cashville]

Seriously though, not only do we have one of the best blueline corps in the league, we may also have the best defenseman contracts in the NHL. Great mix of term and cost control.

And Poile gets plenty of crap, but he was one of the first to really roll out this model with Josi. Josi's contract set the tone for a number of similar players that followed.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Best D in the league. Together for a long time. Great contracts, too. Amazing.

 

[triggrman]

Steve really I do not worry at all. I look to ways to make this team better long term logically. And to tell you the truth it is coming to a point of no return for this team. The team is out of whack with a Trotz type D corp and an offensive coach with Lavi.

Steve can you honestly say that this team is better than the Karyia, Arnott, Dumont, Sullivan, era team? Im not talking potential Im talking about a complete team getting it done on the ice. I think not on any given night any old the old guys could have an off night and someone would pick it up. Now that's just not the case and when FF9, Neal and Wilson, Rinne cool off this team will tailspin. This is the most over rated team we have ever had. The inflated hopes and expectations of the people here make me laugh. because when the team hits a wall just like last year people implode. Or how about two years ago when the majority wanted to TANK. Well the reason is the on ice performance of the players not living up to there potential.

Which way is this team going to go at this point I have no idea. I do like Ekholms term and salary. The guy just does his job nothing flashy which in my opinion is good.

Well, let's see Kariya has 76 points that year, Neither Forsberg nor Neal will hit that this season but both have a shot at Dumont's 66 points. Legwand was the top producing center that year with 63 and I think Ribs has a shot at that, and offensively is a better player than Legwand.

Sullivan had 60 points that year, I don't see Wilson or Smith hitting the point totals but either could hit the 22 goal total he had and I expect both will surpass Erat's 16 goals.

Arnott was the 2nd highest producing center that season with 54 points and I think Fisher could get close to that while playing a far better 2 way game.

We don't have a 37 point 3rd liner like Radulov though but I'd take this years 4th line over that years easily.

This years defense is way beyond that teams defense.

Rinne is a better goalie than Vokoun.

Also, scoring was way higher that year than the last few years as powerplays have decreased and systems have adapted.

So overall, I'd take this team over that one.