Nashville’s blue line is set for the 2024-25 season as the Predators have settled on a 2-year deal with defenseman Spencer Stastney. According to PuckPedia year one is a two-way deal worth $825,000 (NHL) & $400,000 (AHL) while year two is a one-way salary at $825,000.
Altogether Stastney will make $1.6 million in the NHL for the next two seasons. He will be arbitration-eligible once again with Nashville when this deal ends. Stastney will also be eligible for waivers as soon as he finishes the 24-25 season or reaches 70 games played this campaign.
It was Stasteny’s first time going to arbitration as a member of the Predators. The last time a Nashville player went into an arbitration hearing was in 2022 when Yakov Trenin was awarded a two-year deal worth $3.4 million.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman posted on X last Saturday morning saying Stastney’s camp was looking for a one-year one-way deal while Nashvlle wanted a two-year two-way deal.
This is Nashville’s sixth case to be decided from the arbitration hearing. There have been 15 other cases filed previously that were reached before the meeting started.
Looking back Stastney earned three calls to Nashville last season while accumulating the most ice time alongside defensive partner Luke Schenn (126 minutes according to Money Puck).
He also played with Tyson Barrie & Jeremy Lauzon briefly as head coach Andrew Brunette had to shuffle the lineup at times.
Stastney’s first career goal came in his 12th game as a Predator this past season when Nashville routed St. Louis 8-3 on the road. He went on to play 16 more games notching three more points with the Predators while also playing a big role back in the AHL.
As a Milwaukee Admiral Stastney posted 20 points in 44 games while he was away from Nashville. Overall he’s scored 33 points in 102 regular season games with the Admirals after four seasons with Notre Dame.
Stastney’s speed & awareness set him apart from the competition. When he was challenged to play in Nashville he had the opportunity to play on the penalty kill.
Back at training camp last September Stastney was one of the final cuts along with Marc Del Gaizo.
Nashville will have a competitive camp as Stastney, Del Gaizo, Adam Wilsby, & Tanner Molendyk are all players on the radar challenging for a spot. One recent move for the Predators was signing Wilsby to a one-year two-way deal back on July 18 worth $775,000.
Del Gaizo still does not have a new contract but was qualified by Nashville when free agency opened on July 1. His camp & Nashville can agree on a new deal or take the qualifying offer for the 24-25 season.
The Predators are bootstrapped at the moment as according to PuckPedia Nashville only has $595,801 in salary cap space. They can be 10% over the cap before settling their opening night roster.
General manager Barry Trotz recognized that he will not be done adjusting his roster as the offseason continues.
“I’m probably going to look to do a move or two just to create some more separation so we do have that,” Trotz said on July 1. “The great thing is that we have lots of depth within the organization, entry-level guys that we can use. I think we’re okay but I’m probably looking to move at least one guy.”
Could Trotz be looking to flip a defenseman to another team so a logjam doesn’t form? He signed Dante Fabbro to a one-year deal on March 8 worth $2.5 million after coming off a two-year contract he signed back in August of 2021.
Time will tell but odds are Trotz creates space by moving a roster player that was in & out of the lineup last season.
Follow Nick Kieser on Twitter/X: @KieserNick
Photos courtesy of Nashville Predators
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