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Predators reward Matt Irwin with one-year extension at $650K

Nashville Predators v New Jersey Devils

NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 20: Matt Irwin #52 of the Nashvile Predators prepares to skate against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on December 20, 2016 in Newark, New Jersey. The Predators defeated the Devils 5-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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P.K. Subban’s injury situation means that the Nashville Predators’ off-season gets a grade of “Incomplete,” but one of the smaller moves has been working out wonderfully.

Defenseman Matt Irwin isn’t blowing anyone’s mind, yet he’s been a very nice piece for their defense, and the team rewarded him with a little future certainty by way of a one-year, $650K extension on Friday.

(Granted, that “certainty” could be questioned since the expansion draft creates a lot of questions for anyone outside of a team’s core ... but let’s table that for a moment.)

As of right now, Predators defensemen under contract through at least 2017-18 currently include Irwin, Subban, Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis, Petter Granberg and Anthony Bitetto.

Irwin can provide a decent mixture of solid offense and respectable defense - he’s usually on the right end of possession stats - so this deal could be a subtle bargain ... whether it stays in Nashville, or perhaps migrates to Vegas.