Ellis skated a season-high 26:27 (including 4:03 on the power play) in Saturday's 3-0 shutout win over the Oilers.

EDGE Analysis

Although he didn't factor into the scoring, Ellis still has a respectable five points (all assists) in eight games to start the season. He will continue to see plenty of scoring chances skating opposite Roman Josi, both at even strength and on the power play.

Ellis notched his first point in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Islanders, assisting on Craig Smith's second-period goal.

EDGE Analysis

Ellis missed the first three months of last season after undergoing knee surgery, but he was the Preds' most productive defenseman during the second half, notching 32 points in just 44 games -- a 60-point pace over a full season. While that is probably unsustainable, Ellis is certainly surrounded with enough elite-level talent that you should be able to count on him for 40-plus easily, with plenty of upside.

Ellis signed an eight-year, $50 million contract extension with the Predators on Tuesday, Adam Vingan of The Tennessean reports.

EDGE Analysis

Ellis has been a consistent two-way presence for the Preds ever since he emerged as a full-timer in the 2013-14 campaign.

Ellis' camp is actively involved in contract negotiations with the Predators regarding an extension, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Predators GM David Poile added, "Ryan just got married, so we'd like to give him a gift." Ellis' presence in Nashville over the past seven years has been a present for the Western Conference club. The industrious two-way rearguard has accumulated 55 goals, 118 assists and a plus-76 rating to complement heavy defensive totals -- including a plus-76 rating, 302 hits and 558 blocked shots -- over 396 career NHL contests. An alternate captain, Ellis will certainly command a big payday after securing $2.5 million AAV over a five-year deal that he procured in October of 2014.

Ellis wishes to play out the rest of his career in Nashville, Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

The two-way defenseman has one year left on a five-year, $12.5 million contract. A robust shooting percentage (8.2) from the regular season resulted in nine goals for Ellis, plus he set up 23 more through 44 games of an injury-shortened campaign. The sixth-year skater was unable to find the back of the net in the playoffs, though he did garner five helpers. At 27 years old, Ellis should have plenty of hockey left in him and if he stays in Smashville, then expect him to log around 23.5 minutes per contest.

Ellis recorded an assist, two shots on goal, and five blocked shots in Sunday's Game 2 win against Winnipeg.

EDGE Analysis

Ellis has now picked up an assist in three consecutive games, giving him a total of five through eight postseason contests. A key component of Nashville's talented defensive corps, Ellis has averaged over 25 minutes of time on ice during the playoffs, with 2:24 of that ice coming on the power play.

Ellis picked up an assist and a minor penalty while posting a plus-2 rating in Sunday's series-clinching victory over Colorado in Game 6.

EDGE Analysis

Despite his team advancing in six games and outscoring Colorado 22-15 over that span, Ellis' performances in the first round weren't at the high level that we've come to expect of him. In 44 regular season contests, Ellis owned an eye-popping plus-26 rating and spent only six minutes in the sin bin, yet in six postseason matches, Ellis had a minus-1 rating and matched his regular season total of six penalty minutes. Nashville will need Ellis to stay out of the box and refocus on the defensive aspect of the game as it heads into its second-round series against the dangerous Winnipeg Jets.

Ellis earned two apples in a comeback attempt against Colorado, but it wasn't enough as the Avalanche took Game 3 by a 5-3 count on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

The good news is that Ellis was on the ice for seven of the eight goals in this game. The bad news is that five of them belonged to the Avalanche, leaving him with a minus-3 plus-minus rating for the game. His offensive contributions give him high value as a defenseman, and they're usually enough to overcome issues such as a minus-3 rating. Ellis should continue to provide quality value moving forward.

Ellis recorded two assists, a power-play point and a plus-2 rating during Thursday's 4-3 road win against the Capitals.

EDGE Analysis

But for missing 38 games earlier in the season with a knee injury, it's possible Ellis would be a Norris Trophy candidate as he has been absolutely scorching since returning in late-December with nine goals and 32 points in just 43 games. The diminutive blue liner is quietly one of the better offensive defensemen in the league and could have terrific sleeper potential in 2018-19 fantasy leagues so keep an eye on him as your drafts unfold.

Ellis recorded a goal, an assists, three shots and five blocked shots during Thursday's 5-3 win over San Jose.

EDGE Analysis

It's unfortunate that Ellis missed 38 games with a knee injury because he's been an excellent cross-category contributor since returning to action in January. The 27-year-old blueliner has nine goals, 19 assists, 98 shots, 76 blocked shots and a plus-22 rating through 39 games. He also often flies under the radar because P.K. Subban and Roman Josi garner the headlines, so Ellis could come at a discount in upcoming playoff leagues and in drafts next fall.