The Nashville Predators announced they have signed Mark Jankowski to a contract extension. The team also said it is a one-year contract with a cap hit of $775K which is a slight raise on the $750K he earns this season. Of note, the minimum salary for NHL players rises from $750K to $775K next season, so Jankowski effectively remains on a minimum contract.
The 28-year-old is in his first season with the Predators, scoring five goals and eight points in 32 games. He also added ten points in nine AHL games when he was sent down to the Milwaukee Admirals. This signing will provide a little stability for Jankowski who has played for four different organizations in the past four seasons.
The 6-foot-4 center was originally a first-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2012. He played four full college seasons at Providence before finally turning pro, but never lived up to the draft billing in Calgary. His best season was in 2018-19 when he scored 14 goals and 32 points. He has since played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres as well as the Predators.
With just over 300 games played in the NHL, Jankowski does provide some veteran experience for the Predators who are transitioning from perennial playoff contender to seller status. They traded Mikael Granlund, Mattias Ekholm and Nino Niederreiter at the trade deadline and appear to be entering a bit of a retooling phase.
Jankowski will provide some bottom six depth for the team for another season at a low cap hit as the Predators try to turn themselves back into a playoff team in the near future.
I’ve come to the realization that John Hynes’ system works the same whether he has skilled or non-skilled players. That’s good in the current situation his team is in, but it never gets better when you add talent to it.