Nashville Predators sign Jonathan Marchessault to five-year deal with $5.5 million AAV

The Nashville Predators have signed winger Jonathan Marchessault to a five-year contract with a $5.5 million cap hit, according to Athletic insider Pierre LeBrun.

Marchessault was an unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of his six-year contract with a $5 million cap hit that he signed with the Vegas Golden Knights as an extension during the 2017-18 season. He receives a raise of $500,000 per year, with his new contract having the highest AAV of his career. With this new contract, the Predators lock him up until he’s 38 years old at 6.25% of the 2024-25 salary cap.

There are currently no details regarding any no-move/no-trade clauses or signing bonuses with this contract.

With his new deal, Marchessault shares a cap hit with 11 other forwards, including three players signed in free agency today in Jake DeBrusk, Tyler Bertuzzi and Sean Monahan.

Marchessault is coming off of one of his best seasons, where he had 42 goals and 27 assists for 69 points in 82 games. He set a new career-high in goals, with his previous best being two 30-goal seasons in 2016-17 and 2021-22, while his point total is his second-highest mark after his 75-point season in 2017-18.

Marchessault also had 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points in 7 games as the Golden Knights were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Dallas Stars.

After going undrafted, Marchessault was signed in 2011 by the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate, which at the time was the Connecticut Whale, to an AHL contract before then getting an NHL entry-level contract by the Columbus Blue Jackets the following year. After making his NHL debut the following season for two games, he was then dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2014 trade deadline, and while he didn’t play for them that season, he did in the following two seasons. After the Lightning let him walk to free agency in 2016, he signed with the Florida Panthers and played one season before he was selected by the Golden Knights’ in their expansion draft in 2017. He then spent seven seasons with Vegas, winning a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe Trophy with the team in 2023.

Marchessault is one of a few big names that the Preds have signed today, as they’ve also added Steven Stamkos and Brady Skjei to their team. They have just over $4.3 million in projected salary cap space after the signing, with five restricted free agents remaining, including Juuso Parssinen and Philip Tomasino.