Predators sign Mattias Ekholm to six-year contract

The Predators further solidified their stalwart defense Monday, signing Mattias Ekholm to a six-year, $22.5 million contract.

Ekholm’s new contract, which begins next season, will carry an annual average value (AAV) of $3.75 million. He will make $3 million next season, $3.5 million in 2017-18, $4 million in 2018-19 and 2019-20, $3 million in 2020-21 and $5 million in 2021-22.

“It’s awesome,” Ekholm said. "It’s something you dream of when you're a kid playing and growing up. To sign that deal, it’s quite awesome. Great team, great franchise. I’m really happy."

Currently playing under a two-year, $2.075 million deal, Ekholm was a pending restricted free agent.

“I think just about any team would like the way Mattias Ekholm plays the game,” Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. "He skates, he defends, he can contribute offensively. In my time here, he has been rock solid day in and day out in practice and games. He provides a lot of quality minutes against good opposition and able to do it at both ends of the rink."

In 80 games last season, the 25-year-old scored a career-high 18 points. Ekholm developed into Nashville’s best puck-possession defenseman with a shot-attempt percentage over 56 percent. He also led Predators defensemen with a plus-282 shot-attempt differential at even strength, meaning that Nashville took 282 more shot attempts — shots on goal, missed shots and blocked shots — than the opposition when he was on the ice.