Roman Josi, Predators Reportedly Agree to 8-Year, $72M Contract Extension

The Nashville Predators and defenseman Roman Josi have reportedly agreed to an eight-year contract extension.

TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Tuesday the deal will pay Josi just over $9 million per year and includes a no-movement clause, which is a rarity in contracts handed out by the Preds.

Josi was in the final year of his contract and could have become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season.

The 29-year-old has spent his entire nine-year NHL career with the Predators. He signed a seven-year, $28 million extension with Nashville in 2013, which became a massive bargain for the team.

Jeff Veillette of The Faceoff Circle suggested the new deal may essentially be the Preds' way of thanking Josi for outperforming his previous contract so significantly:

Josi has long been one of the NHL's top defensemen, and he now has a contract to match it, as the new deal makes him the third-highest-paid blueliner in the league.

Entering this season, Josi had registered 40 points or more in six consecutive seasons and 49 points or more in five straight. He also topped the 50-point mark four times and surpassed the 60-point threshold once during that stretch.

The Preds have made five consecutive playoff appearances, and Josi—who was appointed team captain in 2017—is among the biggest reasons for that.

He is trending toward a career year in 2019-20 with five goals and eight assists for 13 points through 11 games. He also owns a plus-eight rating.

The 2008 second-round pick from Switzerland set a career high with 61 points in 2015-16, posted 14 points in 22 playoff games the next season and earned a career-best plus-24 rating in 2017-18. Last season, Josi appeared in all 82 games for the first time in his career, tied his career high with 15 goals and finished with 56 points.

With a record of 7-3-1 (15 points), the Preds are tied for second in the Western Conference's Central Division behind the Colorado Avalanche, which suggests they are well on their way to another playoff appearance and potentially a deep run.

With Josi locked in for the next several years, the Predators figure to have plenty of opportunities to produce the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.