The Nashville Predators have been hard at work on free agency day, adding veteran pieces to rebuild the locker room culture, and now finalizing a contract on their lone remaining restricted free agent.
Alex Carrier, a 26-year-old defenseman in his last year of RFA eligibility, has signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Nashville Predators.
Ahead of the NHL Draft on Wednesday, we learned that the Preds would only be qualifying two of their restricted free agents: Cody Glass and Alex Carrier. They’ve exceeded that expectation by signing them both to deals exceeding their qualifying offer, avoiding arbitration and keeping them both in Nashville for at least the 2023-24 season.
Carrier is coming off an injury plagued season where he played only 43 games, scoring nine points and logging just under 18 minutes per game. It was revealed at the end of the season that he suffered both a concussion and a broken shoulder in two separate incidents this year.
While this signing is not surprising, it does add to the complexity of the future of the Preds’ blueline. With eight defensemen under contract for next year, most of which will be expecting to start, how will the Preds distribute responsibilities? We know Roman Josi will play on the top pairing, presumably with newcomer Luke Schenn, while Ryan McDonagh will likely pair with Tyson Barrie on the 2nd pairing. That leaves Carrier and Dante Fabbro (who is also signed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal) to fight for the final spot alongside Jeremy Lauzon on the third pairing. Jake Livingstone sits in the 8th defensive spot, though he might end up starting the year in Milwaukee.
Alex Carrier brings mobility to the Preds’ back end, but the injuries he’s suffered add question marks to his future. If he’s able to recover and return to his 2021-22 form, where he scored 30 points in 77 games, this contract will be of great value to the Preds.
