Finally, after a long, dull stretch of the offseason, we have some news!
The #Preds have signed forward Colton Sissons to a seven-year, $20 million contract through the 2025-26 season >> https://t.co/xQCCYMFGb8
— Nashville Preds PR (@PredsPR) July 23, 2019
The #Preds have signed forward Colton Sissons to a seven-year, $20 million contract through the 2025-26 season – @PredsPR
That’s an AAV of just under $2.86M per year, which is a little north of what we had predicted earlier this offseason. In terms of year-by-year salary, the reported numbers from PuckPedia are a lot more… interesting?
Sissons $2.857M 7 year deal (all salary):
-19-20: $3.45M
-20-21: $2.5M
-21-22: $3.65M
-22-23: $2.775M
-23-24: $3.5M
-24-25: $2.3M
-25-26: $1.825MCovers 5 UFA years. Rep’d by Murray Kuntz @IHGAgency https://t.co/RbAWCbDEWU
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 23, 2019
Sissons became a restricted free agent after what was arguably his best season as a pro, netting career highs in goals (15), points (30), and plus-minus (+20). He had filed for arbitration earlier this summer, and his hearing was slated to take place this weekend.
David Poile had this to say about the deal.
“He’s a heart and soul player who is versatile and can fill many important roles on our team, including on the penalty kill and power play. His offensive production has increased each season, and he remains an integral part of our defensive structure down the middle of the ice. Colton is also an up-and-coming leader in our organization, which is something we value strongly.” – David Poile
Look, we’ve been following the Predators long enough to know David Poile is not shy about offering long-term deals to his young free agents in attempt to lock them up through their prime years, regardless of their role on the team. The AAV for Sissons isn’t a huge stumbling block, especially when you look at what some teams are paying for reliable bottom six forwards these days (hi, Nick Bonino). The advance metrics show he’s strong in the defensive zone, a dependable penalty killer, and ranks just barely behind Johansen in terms of face-off wins.
The term is probably what’s raising the most eyebrows. Most were expecting a 2-4 year “prove it” type deal to see how much higher Sissons’s ceiling is on the offensive end. Best case scenario, he’s a guy who can consistently contribute 35-40 points from the third line. And even though last year’s numbers were a step in the right direction, it remains to be seen if Sissons can keep building off that performance over the next seven seasons.
In terms of the roster, Sissons’s deal means Rocco Grimaldi is the only restricted free agent left unsigned on the Predators’ roster. His arbitration hearing is set for August 4th.
Thoughts on the deal, Preds fans?