Ryan Johansen signs 8-year, $64 million contract with Predators

Top restricted free agent Ryan Johansen has signed an eight-year, $64 million contract with the Nashville Predators, the forward informed The Tennesseean on Friday. The deal locks up Johansen at an $8 million annual cap hit through the 2024-25 season.

Johansen, 24, was the No. 1 center on the Western Conference champions last season. The Predators acquired him the year before from the Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Seth Jones.

Over the past four seasons, Johansen has proven to be one of the game’s top scorers. He’s put up at least 60 points all four seasons, including 61 points in 82 games during the 2016-17 regular season. He’s only recorded 28 goals over the past two seasons, down from a career-high of 33 in 2013-14, but his improved playmaking has helped him keep up an impressive pace.

During the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Johansen was stellar with 13 points in 14 games before going down with a left thigh injury. He looked great in the first three series while often matching up against Jonathan Toews and Ryan Getzlaf, among others.

Nashville now has all of its restricted free agents locked up for another playoff run after getting the Johansen deal done. It was an impressive summer for GM David Poile, who signed a host of RFAs this offseason, including young winger Viktor Arvidsson.

The Predators now have Johansen, Arvidsson, Filip Forsberg, and Calle Jarnkrok locked in through 2021-22 at a combined $20.25 million. On defense, P.K. Subban and Mattias Ekholm are signed through the same time frame for $12.75 million.

That cost certainty will serve the Predators well as they try to bring the Stanley Cup to Nashville for the first time. It almost happened last season, and if it weren’t for Johansen’s injury, maybe they would’ve been able to overcome the Penguins. Now that he’s locked in long-term, we’ll get more chances to find out how good this team can be.