Ellis contract lengthens Predators' window to win Stanley Cup

NASHVILLE --The Nashville Predators believe they have extended their window to compete for the Stanley Cup by signing defenseman Ryan Ellis to an eight-year, $50 million extension Tuesday.

Ellis, 27, had the option to play this season and become an unrestricted free agent July 1, 2019, but he elected to commit to the Predators when he could have gotten more money on the open market. He wanted to make sure Nashville remained competitive for the foreseeable 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."

Ellis had 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists) in 44 games last season after missing the first three months recovering from offseason knee surgery. His extension will begin in 2019-20.
"This is a huge signing for our organization," Predators general manager David Poile said. "It allows us to continue to compete for the Stanley Cup for years to come. We've talked a lot since the season ended about trying to keep our core together because we really believe we have a competitive team right now, and keeping a player like Ryan here long term obviously really helps us reach that goal."
The Predators have offered an eight-year contract each of the past two offseasons to Ellis and forward Ryan Johansen, and have constructed a young core that is largely under contract for at least the next two seasons. Ellis said there are several factors that have made players comfortable to committing to Nashville long term.

"I think it starts with the city," Ellis said. "The fans, the organization, the lifestyle here, it suits hockey players. I think you see a lot of hockey players that are quiet, humble and just kind of want to fit in. I think that's a lot of our team, and Nashville is the perfect place to do that. I think it starts there. And then you get to the rink every day and the way this team operates, and the success we've had recently and even in the past, you know that something great is coming and it's coming soon."
The Predators won the Presidents' Trophy last season and lost the 2017 Stanley Cup Final to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The balance has become trying to build a team that can win the Cup in the present while keeping the future in mind.
"That's the puzzle that you're given when you're putting together a team in this day and age with the salary cap and other factors," Poile said. "I've got really good people that work with me, for me, from the drafting to helping negotiate, strategic planning, all of those things. It's not without risk. I think everything that we do is somewhat of a gamble. You sign [Ellis] to eight years, Ryan Johansen to eight years, you're really counting on these guys to be good players not only today but for a long time."