The Nashville Predators have signed defenceman Ben Harpur. The deal is for one year, which will take him through 2020-21. He has not played in the NHL since 2018-19 but is a low-cost move for the active Predators, who have signed several players since hockey was suspended. The team announced the news early Friday afternoon.
NEWS: General Manager David Poile announced today that the #Preds have signed defenseman Ben Harpur to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2020-21 season.https://t.co/yZZ3iNqHlC
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) May 1, 2020
Predators Sign Ben Harpur
Harpur has spent 2019-20 between the AHL affiliates for the Predators and Toronto Maple Leafs. The 25-year-old had one goal and 11 points in 34 games before he was traded in late February. He then contributed just one point in seven games before hockey shut down. Harpur’s last NHL games came with the Ottawa Senators in 2018-19 when he scored one goal and five points in 51 games.
The Senators originally drafted Harpur in the fourth round of the 2013 Draft. He never found much of a role with the Sens considering he has just one goal and seven points in 103 career games. His primary contributions have come on defence where he has 174 hits and 114 blocked shots over that span of time. He will never be a significant offensive contributor but he is a cheap option that stands 6’6″. Most teams can squeeze a physical presence of that sort onto their roster as an extra penalty killer.
What this Means for the Future
Harpur will need to maintain some of the improvements he showed with Toronto’s affiliate to have a chance in Nashville. The Predators have one of the strongest bluelines in the league with Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi. He is in a good situation considering Nashville’s track record with defenders but Harpur has an uphill battle for consistent playing time.
The Predators have been very aggressive with depth signings since play was suspended. They have signed six players including Harpur since March including defenceman Alexandre Carrier. There are still some contributors like Mikael Granlund scheduled for free agency but Nashville is gearing up for 2020-21 as quickly as possible.
Main Photo
