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Ryan Johansen, Predators reach eight-year, $64 million contract
— -- NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- General manager David Poile has made it clear he's been looking for a top center since first hired to build the Nashville Predators 20 years ago.
He believes he has just that in Ryan Johansen, and that's why the Predators rewarded the 24-year-old center Friday with an eight-year, $64 million contract. It's the biggest deal the franchise has ever handed out.
The Predators now have Johansen under contract at an average of $8 million a year through the 2024-25 season, and linemates Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson are signed for the next five years after Arvidsson signed a seven-year, $29.75 million deal last weekend.
Poile said that was the goal this offseason.
"We got our whole core signed up for a lot of guys for a lot of years, and I hope we've chosen correctly," Poile said for a team that lost the Stanley Cup in six games to Pittsburgh in June. "I believe we've chosen correctly."
Johansen, who turns 25 Monday, tied for the lead in scoring with 61 points (14 goals, 47 assists) over 82 games this season. He had 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 14 playoff games this spring before acute compartment syndrome ended his postseason in the Western Conference final. Johansen said he is fully recovered and working on conditioning with the team's strength coach.
Nashville traded for Johansen in January 2016, swapping defenseman Seth Jones to Columbus for the young center. He is one of five NHL players with at least 45 assists in each of the past three seasons, along with Sidney Crosby, Nicklas Backstrom, Ryan Getzlaf and Erik Karlsson.?
Johansen says he tried to embrace the challenge of proving in the Predators' run to their first Stanley Cup Final that he is a top center and sees Nashville as the place where he belongs.
"Just the class that they've shown with myself and committing and trusting me and believing in me for these next eight years is just so humbling and so excited for the next chapter, which is coming up fast with the short summer," Johansen said.
This leaves only one big decision remaining for Nashville. Captain Mike Fisher, 37, is expected to decide within the next week whether he wants to return or retire.
ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.?
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