The Nashville Predators took a big step toward boosting their offense Monday by signing Matt Duchene away from the Columbus Blue Jackets, paying a big price to land a forward they had long targeted.
Duchene received a seven-year contract worth $56 million. He will be expected to spark the Predators’ scoring attack after a season in which they had the NHL’s worst power play and made a first-round playoff exit.
The 28-year-old center, who describes himself as a “wannabe country singer” in his Twitter bio, said the move to Nashville seemed like a “perfect fit.”
“It’s been a place where we’ve wanted to be for a long time,” Duchene said. “To see it come to fruition is really, really exciting. We love the city. The fans are unbelievable, and the most important part, which is the hockey part, it’s a hell of a team to be joining. I can’t wait to play with those guys, get out there and get started.”
The signing comes just over a week after the Predators traded six-time All-Star defenseman P.K. Subban to New Jersey for defensemen Steven Santi and Jeremy Davies, plus two draft picks. Subban was set to make $9 million each of the next three seasons.