Nashville Predators sign defenseman Brady Skjei to 7-year, $49 million deal

The Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Brady Skjei to a seven-year contract worth $49 million, an average of $7 million per season.

The Predators made the announcement after a busy day of free agency, where they also agreed to terms with forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault.

Skjei, 30, had 13 goals and 34 assists in 80 games with the Carolina Hurricanes last season. The former first-round pick in the 2012 draft has 247 points in 609 NHL games with the Hurricanes and New York Rangers.

A 6-foot-3, 210-pound left-handed defenseman, Skjei brings a unique combination of size, skating and skill to the blue line. He has averaged more than 21 minutes of ice time a game the past three seasons with the Hurricanes, scoring nearly 40 points per season each year.

This move gives the Predators another veteran presence on the blue line, with the team having traded Ryan McDonagh back to the Tampa Bay Lightning in May. As a left-hander, Skjei likely would pair with one of the right-handed defensemen, either Dante Fabbro or Luke Schenn.

Skjei will be 37 years old at the end of the contract, after which he will be an unrestricted free agent.