Nashville Predators Looking To Extend Mattias Ekholm

Earlier today, Nashville Predators general manager David Poile went on ESPN 102.5 The Game. During it, he stated that the Predators are planning to talk to defenseman Mattias Ekholm about a possible extension. Poile's entire discussion with the radio station is down below.

Right now Robby & Rexrode will be joined with @PredsNHL GM David Poile. Development camp has started.

WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/RqdHyP8DIg
— ESPN 102.5 The Game (@1025TheGame) August 17, 2021

Ekholm had been a name in the rumor mill last season, but it appears that the Predators would rather keep him around. This ultimately makes sense, as he is one of their top defenseman and has spent the entirety of his NHL career with them.

In 48 games this season, the 31-year-old scored six goals and recorded 23 points. For a Predators team who had its rough patches, it is also worth noting that he was a +19. Overall, it was just a very solid year for him both in terms of offense and defense.

In 586 games with the Predators over 10 seasons, Ekholm has 51 goals, 168 points and 219 points.

An Ekholm contract will probably cost a decent chunk of money when looking at how well defensemen are being paid this summer. He is a very dependable top-four defender who chips in offensively, so his importance to the team is rather significant.