The Nashville Predators have signed restricted free agent defenseman Marc Del Gaizo to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2024-25 season.
Del Gaizo’s contract is worth $775,000 at the NHL level and $125,000 at the AHL level, where he will likely begin the 2024-25 campaign playing for the Milwaukee Admirals.
Del Gaizo made his NHL debut in the 2023-24 season and recorded an assist in each of his first three games, posted a +2 rating and averaged 16:28 of ice time in nine games with the Predators.
A fourth-round pick by Nashville in the 2019 NHL Draft, Del Gaizo tallied 34 points (8 goals, 26 assists) in 60 games with the Admirals last season to lead all team defenseman in scoring. He also finished fifth among all skaters on the team in shots on goal with 126. In the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs, he was tied for third in goals (4) and eighth in points (7) by AHL defensemen through 15 postseason games.
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Del Gaizo has accumulated 89 points (17g-72a), 112 penalty minutes and a +10 rating in 207 regular season games with Milwaukee and Chicago, including 19 points (8 goals, 11 assists) in 40 Calder Cup Playoff contests.
Del Gaizo will remain a restricted free agent when his contract expires in 2025. He is the second RFA to sign a new contract with the Predators this week, as forward Juuso Pärssinen signed a one-year, one-way deal Monday morning. Forward Philip Tomasino remains the lone Predators RFA without a new contract for the 2024-25 season.