The Nashville Predators have lost another player in free agency as defenseman Marc Del Gaizo signed with the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. 

He agreed to a one-year, $775,000 contract, making as much as he did this past season in Nashville. 

Del Gaizo was drafted by the Predators 109th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft out of UMass Amherst.

This past season, he split time between Nashville and Milwaukee, scoring nine points in 46 games with the Predators and 12 points in 30 games with the Admirals. Del Gaizo also had five points in 10 playoff games with Milwaukee. 

Del Gaizo had two different contracts during his two years in Nashville. During the 2023-24 season, he had an annual hit of $850,833. He made about $75,000 less this year. 

General manager Barry Trotz said that the goal of free agency was to improve the defense, which likely included adding depth. Del Gaizo is on the rise, as last season was the most NHL games he had played in a single season. 

The Predators have about $10.1 million in salary cap space. 

During this free agency period, the Predators have signed two defensemen: Nicolas Hague from the Vegas Golden Knights and Nick Perbix from the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have also extended a qualifying offer to Luke Evangelista. 

Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and center Colton Sissons were traded to Vegas as part of the trade with Hague.