The Nashville Predators signed forward Colton Sissons to a seven-year, $20 million contract on Tuesday. The Predators avoided arbitration and locked up the 25-year-old through the 2025-26 season. Sissons set career highs with 15 goals and 30 points in 75 games in 2018-19. "He's a heart-and-soul player who is versatile and can fill many important roles on our team, including on the penalty kill and power play," Predators president David Poile said in a statement. "... Colton is also an up-and-coming leader in our organization, which is something we value strongly." A second-round pick by Nashville in 2012, Sissons has tallied 77 points (37 goals, 40 assists) in 265 games over the past five seasons. He also has 19 points (nine goals, 10 assists) in 51 playoff games. The Colorado Avalanche signed defenseman Anton Lindholm to a two-year contract. Lindholm, 24, has played in 62 NHL games over parts of the past three seasons and has four career assists. He was scoreless in two appearances for the Avalanche last season. All four of Lindholm's points came during the 2017-18 season, when he played in 48 games. Lindholm, a fifth-round choice in the 2014 NHL Draft, had eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 57 games for the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League last season. The Toronto Maple Leafs traded for the contract of one of their former players, right wing David Clarkson, plus a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft in a deal that sent backup goaltender Garret Sparks to the Vegas Golden Knights. Clarkson, 35, is a former 30-goal scorer for New Jersey, where he played his first seven NHL seasons before inking a seven-year, $36.75 million free-agent deal with the Leafs before the 2013-14 season. He was dealt to Vegas in June 2017 before issues with three degenerative discs in his spine have ceased any realistic hope for his career to continue. The Leafs are expected to transfer Clarkson to their long-term injury list, with Yahoo Sports reporting the intention being for the team to free up salary cap space to sign Mitch Marner, a restricted free agent, to a new extension. The Golden Knights signed veteran defenseman Deryk Engelland to a one-year, $700,000 contract. The 37-year-old Engelland scored two goals with 10 assists in 74 games with Vegas last season and has 29 career goals in 622 games over 10 seasons. He has played with the Pittsburgh Penguins (2009-14), Calgary Flames (2014-17) and the Golden Knights (2017-19). — Reuters
