Matt Duchene Reportedly Expected to Sign Contract With Predators
By Scott Rogust
NHL free agency isn't supposed to begin until Monday, but that isn't stopping huge news from dropping the day prior.
According to the latest reports, the Nashville Predators are expected to sign top free agent forward Matt Duchene. No specific details on contractual terms have been revealed, but it's expected to be in the range of seven years, with an annual salary around $8 million.
As others have also speculated, while nothing can be signed until Monday, Matt Duchene slated to join Nashville. Contract can’t be officially negotiated until Monday but sounds like $56 million over 7 years is what has been discussed.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 1, 2019
The Predators were long rumored to make a run for Duchene, as they traded star defenseman PK Subban to the New Jersey Devils in order to clear up cap space.
After posting 27 goals and 31 assists with the Ottawa Senators, Duchene was sent to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the trade deadline to help with a hopeful Stanley Cup push. Duchene's presence proved to be huge, as he scored 5 goals in the playoffs, which included a first-round sweep of the No. 1 seeded Tampa Bay Lightning.
Matt Duchene is expected to sign with the #Predators once free agency officially opens.https://t.co/TilIzqHwxY
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 1, 2019
Despite clinching the Central Division, the Predators were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Dallas Stars. Their failure this postseason can be attributed due to a lack of scoring. Matt Duchene will fill the role of primary goal scorer for the Predators as they look to hoist their first-ever Stanley Cup.