NHL
Defenseman Ryan Ellis Signs Contract Worth $50 Million
The Predators are extending their window to compete for the Stanley cup; at least that is their mindset behind signing defenseman Ryan Ellis. Ellis was given an eight-year contract extension worth $50 million. The contract was signed this past Tuesday.
About Ellis
The 27-year-old defenseman had the option to finish playing this season and become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, 2019. However, instead of going to the open market, Ellis committed to the Predators. Ellis wanted to make sure that Nashville remained a competitive team for the future.
“I’m getting paid more than enough to play hockey and I’m very excited to be able to do that for a long time,” Ellis said. “It was just about coming across a fair deal and what worked for both sides. We have other guys that need to be reupped and need to be signed in the future, and I had to do my part to keep this thing going in the right direction. If we can keep everyone here and keep the core together, I think we can compete for a Stanley Cup for the next 10 years at least.”
This past 2017-18 season, Ryan Ellis had 32 points, (Nine Goals, 23 Assists) in 44 games. He missed the first three months due to an offseason knee surgery, that resulted in recovery during the season. Ellis’ contract extension will begin in the 2019-20 season.
The Predators franchise has offered eight-year contracts in each of the past two offseasons; last years offer going to forward Ryan Johansen. The Predators have constructed a young core that will remain under contract for at least two more seasons. One of the few factors that kept Ellis in Nashville, and not on the open market.
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