Predators Sign Matt Carle

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The Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Matt Carle to a one-year deal worth $700,000, the team announced Wednesday. The Predators have one of the deepest defenses in the entire NHL, but a very small portion of their roster has the NHL experience that Carle will bring to their locker room.

At 31-years-old, Carle has played in 724 games and totaled 45 goals and 282 points split between the San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Carle most recently played for the Lightning prior to being bought-out due to salary cap purposes. The Lightning had a slew of players looking for new deals, and Carle’s price tag was simply too much for the veteran role he provided.

Carle does have experience in the playoffs as well, having helped Tampa Bay reach the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals, as well as the Philadelphia Flyers reach in 2010, losing both series to the Chicago Blackhawks. Carle’s time spent in Philadelphia may have helped him the most in earning this contract, however, as Predators head coach Peter Laviolette coached the 6-foot, 197-pound blueliner for three seasons in a Philadelphia uniform.

Last season with the Lightning, Carle posted two goals and nine points in 64 games. He may not be the same point-producer that he once was while playing under Laviolette, but he is a dependable defenseman who can provide a lot of knowledge for his younger teammates.