from Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe,

Ryan Ellis is a good second-pairing defenseman. Nashville’s right-side defender, who played mostly alongside Roman Josi, scored 16 goals and 22 assists in 71 games for the Predators in 2016-17.

The 26-year-old Ellis is Nashville’s equivalent of John Carlson (27), Tyson Barrie (26), and Justin Faulk (25). Last season, Carlson scored 37 points, one fewer than Ellis. Barrie tied Ellis with 38 points. Faulk (17-20—37) was one off Ellis’s pace.

The difference between Ellis and his cohorts is price. Nashville is paying the bushy-bearded defenseman $2.5 million annually for two more years. Barrie is coming off his first season of a four-year, $22 million contract. Carolina has Faulk under contract for three more years at $4,833,333 annually. Carlson is entering the final season of a six-year, $23.8 million extension.

In that context, the Predators are enjoying more value for Ellis than their competitors are for their right-shot defensemen. It’s something Nashville has done quite well.

The organization has offered an inviting mix of culture, opportunity, fit, and lifestyle. Its younger players have bought in.

Nashville’s latest example is Viktor Arvidsson.

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