Predators acquire, sign Hague to 4-year deal in trade sending Scissons, Lauzon to Vegas: AP source

The Nashville Predators acquired defenseman Nicolas Hague in a three-player trade that sent center Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon to the Vegas Golden Knights, a person with knowledge of the deal confirmed to the Associated Press early Monday.

In completing the trade, the Predators also agreed to sign Hague to a four-year $22 million contract, the person added and spoke on the condition of anonymity because the trade has not been announced. TSN first reported the trade taking place.

The 26-year-old Hague was a pending restricted free agent who had the right to go to arbitration after completing his sixth season. At 6-foot-6, he’s a hard-hitting, defensive-minded player who had five goals and 12 points in 68 games. Overall, he has 20 goals and 83 points in 364 games, all with Vegas.

The trade comes as teams shuffle their rosters ahead of the NHL’s free agency signing period, which opens Tuesday.

The Predators are retooling their lineup after missing the playoffs for the second time in three years.

The Golden Knights essentially freed up salary cap space by removing the uncertainty of what they stood in having to pay Hague, for the cost-certainty of adding two players entering the final years of their respective contracts.

Vegas has been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, who is regarded as the top free agent set to enter the market.

The 31-year-old Sissons leaves Nashville after spending his entire 11-season career with the Predators. He has one year left on his seven-year contract and represents a $2.86 million cap hit. Sissons had seven goals and 21 points in 72 games last year, and has 95 goals and 221 points in 691 career outings.

Lauzon, 28, represents a $2 million cap hit. He has seven seasons of NHL experience and was limited to an assist in 28 games last year before sustaining a season-ending lower body injury.

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