The Nashville Predators and center Colton Sissons agreed to a new seven-year contract worth $20 million according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Sissons will carry a salary hit of $2.86 million.
NASH and Colton Sissons avoid arbitration with a 7-year, $20M deal
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 23, 2019
Colton Sissons Re-Signs
Sissons was one of 40 players to file for salary arbitration back on July 5. He was supposed to have a hearing on July 26, but like most players, he was able to come to an agreement beforehand with the team.
Sissons was picked 50th overall by the Predators during the 2012 NHL Draft. In five seasons in the league, all with the Predators, Sissons has recorded 77 points (37 goals and 40 assists). His best season for the Predators came in 2018-19 when he tallied a career-high 15 goals and 30 points in 75 games.
Where Sissons made his name was in the playoffs. While last season was a disappointment for him and most of the team, he was vital in the Predators trip to the Stanley Cup Final. In 35 career playoff games, Sissons has 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists). Sissons dominated the 2017 Western Conference Final against the Anaheim Ducks. There Sissons would score a hat trick leading the Predators to their first-ever Stanley Cup series.
What Does This Mean
For starters, what stands out most from this signing is not so much the money, which is very team-friendly, but the term. Seven years is long for a player who has the potential of hitting it big on the free-agent market if his production keeps up.
With Matt Duchene signed as a free agent in the off-season, the Predators have depth down the middle. Kyle Turris is still there, but he is more of a third-line centre now. With this contract, the Predators are showing faith, that Sissons can play top-six minutes and be the number two centre on the team.
Over the course of his career with the Predators, Sissons was playing bottom-six minutes and on the penalty kill. That role increased last season due to injuries on the team, where his production increased as well. Sissons was relegated back to a bottom-six role once playoffs got healthy.
The big thing is that Sissons is good in the faceoff circle. He wins nearly 55% of the draws he takes. That is big in today’s NHL with so many faceoffs in the offensive zone. The Predators will also like to use him in a defensive role too. With Sissons faceoff ability, he will see a share of the defensive zone draws late in the game.
