Spencer Stastney was awarded a two-year, $1.65 million contract with the Nashville Predators by an independent arbitrator on Thursday. It has an average annual value of $825,000.
The 24-year-old defenseman will be on a two-way contract for the upcoming season and a one-way contract for 2025-26.
Stastney, who had a salary arbitration hearing, was the first of the 14 restricted free agents who filed for arbitration on July 5 to have a hearing. Ten of the 14 had signed contracts prior to their scheduled hearings.
Stastney had four points (two goals, two assists) in 20 regular-season games with the Predators last season, averaging 15:59 of ice time per game. He had no points in three Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Selected by Nashville in the fifth round (No. 131) of the 2018 NHL Draft, Stastney has six points (two goals, four assists) in 28 regular-season games.
The Predators (47-30-5) finished fourth in the Central Division last season and lost to the Vancouver Canucks in six games in the first round of the playoffs.
Nashville has also signed forwards Steven Stamkos (four years, $32 million; $8 million AAV) and Jonathan Marchessault (five years, $27.5 million; $5.5 million AAV), defenseman Brady Skjei (seven years, $49 million; $7 million AAV) and goalie Scott Wedgewood (two years, $3 million; $1.5 million AAV) as free agents this offseason.
