Predators re-sign Colin Wilson to 4-year contract
The Predators locked up their lone remaining free agent Monday, signing forward Colin Wilson to a four-year, $15.25 million contract.
He will be paid $3.75 million next season and $4 million during the following three seasons with an annual average value of roughly $3.9 million. He was a restricted free agent and his arbitration hearing had been set for Tuesday.
According to Sportsnet, Wilson requested an annual salary of $4.25 million in his arbitration brief, which the Predators countered with a $3 million offer. Last week, the Predators went through with their hearing with forward Craig Smith, but signed him to a five-year, $21.25 million contract before a third-party ruling was issued.
“Certainly we were hopeful based on the (Smith) signing that (it) gave us a pretty clear position we felt where Colin could fit,” Predators general manager David Poile said Monday afternoon. "We did make the trip up here to Toronto. We met last night with our lawyers to go over the brief and what have you, so we were ready to go to arbitration, but a couple of calls last night and one this morning sort of solidified that we were both in the same place.”
Wilson set career highs with 20 goals and 42 points last season in the final year of a three-year, $6 million contract. During Nashville's six-game playoff series against Chicago, Wilson scored five times, setting a franchise record for most goals in a single series.
All things Predators: Latest Nashville Predators news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.
"Everybody kind of reaches their potential or blossoms at different times," Poile said. "Colin would be the first to admit that he's getting better every day, more mature with his game. I think consistency is an area that he'd like to improve on a little bit. Once he can get the handle on that, maybe and hopefully last year was just the tip of the iceberg for what he can do offensively for us."
Barring any unanticipated personnel moves, the Predators' roster for next season is likely set. Wilson was the fourth forward expected to start in Nashville's top six to re-sign this offseason, joining Smith, Mike Fisher and Mike Ribeiro.
The Predators have plenty of salary-cap flexibility with about $12.3 million in available space, according to GeneralFanager.com. They will have to negotiate new contracts with forward Filip Forsberg and defensemen Seth Jones and Mattias Ekholm next summer, among others.
Reach Adam Vingan at 615-259-8023 and on Twitter @AdamVingan
.Other notable Predators signings this offseason:
Forward Mike Fisher: Two years, $8.8 million
Forward Mike Ribeiro: Two years, $7 million
Forward Craig Smith: Five years, $21.25 million
Forward Cody Hodgson: One year, $1.05 million
Forward Calle Jarnkrok: One year, $735,000
Forward Gabriel Bourque: One year, $866,250
Forward Austin Watson: Two years, $1.15 million (two-way in 2015-16)
Defenseman Barret Jackman: Two years, $4 million
Defenseman Anthony Bitetto: One year, $665,500 (two-way)
Predators on national television
The Predators will appear on national television four times next season, beginning with an Oct. 28 game against the San Jose Sharks on NBC Sports Network:
Oct. 28: Nashville at San Jose, 9:30 p.m. (NBC-SN)
Dec. 29: Nashville at St. Louis, 7 p.m. (NBC-SN)
Jan. 19: Chicago at Nashville, 7 p.m. (NBC-SN)
Feb. 25: Nashville at Chicago, 7 p.m. (NBC-SN)
According to Yahoo Sports, Nashville only played one nationally televised game last season.
All All-Star Game festivities from Nashville will be aired on NBC Sports Network, starting with the fantasy draft on Jan. 29, the skills competition on Jan. 30 and the game itself on Jan. 31.