Breaking: We have new information on star forward's next contract!

Even though Nashville Predators centerman Ryan Johansen did not file for arbitration, this does not mean he is not at the top of general manager David Poile's priority list. The restricted free agent is looking for a new contract, and many experts believe he is going to get a lot of money.

Mike Johnson and Jamison Coyle, from NHL Network, talked about what Johansen's next contract might look like. They believe the 24-year-old has got the upper hand in those negotiations, and that he should expect a huge pay day:

"Look at what he has going for him. They gave up a massive asset in Seth Jones to get him. They have been looking for a number one centerman since the franchise started, and he's the first one. When he was out of the lineup in the playoffs, they struggled a little bit. And so you put all those things together and you got a pretty good case to ask for a lot of money."

He then gave much more information about what kind of money Johansen might be getting:

"I think the Kuznetsov contract is a good comparison, but I'm thinking seven years and close to eight million dollars is what it will end up as, because he has a lot of leverage in this negotiation."

Johansen was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets 14th overall in the 2010 NHL draft. Last season, he recorded 14 goals and 47 assists for 61 points in 82 games with Nashville. He also added three goals and 10 assist in 14 playoff games, before suffering a very serious leg injury during the Game 4 of Western Conference Final. He is expected to fully recover and be ready for training camp.