Nashville Predators' 3 Best Contracts of 2023-24

As a younger team with a lot of players performing well, the Nashville Predators have a number of great contracts. This is what makes narrowing it down to the three best so difficult, but there is no denying that the three players on the best contracts this season due to what they bring to the table and their production are as follows in no particular order.

Ryan O'Reilly

The Predators made a couple of bold moves in the offseason when they bought out Matt Duchene and traded Ryan Johansen, exposing the middle of the ice. That is when the team signed Ryan O'Reilly to what now seems like an amazing contract.

It wasn't like anyone was criticizing the AAV or term of his deal despite a down season in 2022-23 split between the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs. O'Reilly is a stellar shutdown centerman that has always been capable of producing offensively to go with that. He has been a number one center in the league for many years and the Predators got him for cheap for four years at $4.5 million AAV.

O'Reilly plays nearly 20 minutes a game and has 24 goals and 56 points in 69 games. He is in the Selke conversation every season and has a Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe, Selke Trophy, and Lady Byng Trophy to his name, all on top of being a great leader. O'Reilly should be able to hold down a top-six center role for the entirety of his contract and help transition the Predators into their next phase at a price point that doesn't hurt them.

Tommy Novak

Tommy Novak was signed at the start of March after 100 games over the past two seasons under his belt to show what kind of player he can be. Even his next contract that is for three years at $3.5 million AAV will likely be considered good, but he is currently on a one-year, $800,000 deal.

For a player that can perform in the middle-six and has 15 goals and 39 points in 58 games, that is amazing value and he more than deserves the raise he got. Novak has the potential to get better as he is only 26 years old. As the team around him also improves, his production will only rise. But as for this season, his contribution on nearly a league-minimum contract is one of the best.

Gustav Nyquist

Like O'Reilly, Gustav Nyquist was another stellar offseason signing by the Predators to help fill their ranks and add another veteran presence. After dealing with some injuries, he has seen a career resurgence and will easily finish the season with a career high in points as he is already at 60 in 69 games.