The team decided to kick in the one-year extension on the contract Legwand signed last year, Predators' spokesman Ken Anderson said. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 6-2, 190-pound center had a career-high of 18 goals this past season and finished fourth on the club with 47 points. He ranks among franchise leaders with 72 goals, 122 assist and 194 points.

Legwand, a Detroit native, appeared in all 82 regular games for the Predators this past season and in the six games of the team's first NHL playoff series. The Predators, which begin their seventh year as an expansion franchise in the fall, lost to Detroit 4-2 in the first round of the playoffs.

Legwand led the team in the 2003-04 season with five game-winning goals, ranked second on the team with 165 shots and ranked third with a plus-9 rating.

The Predators also made qualifying offers to restricted free agents Jonas Andersson, Mark Eaton, Martin Erat, Vernon Fiddler, Brian Finley, Simon Gamache, Adam Hall, Scott Hartnell, Darren Haydar, Shane Hnidy, Andrew Hutchinson, Vladimir Orszagh, Konstantin Panov, Kirill Safronov, Wyatt Smith, Steve Sullivan, Tomas Vokoun and Marek Zidlicky.

"Our priority this offseason is signing our group of young talent that helped the Predators reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time this past season," Poile said in a statement. "With our nucleus in place, a young roster and few long-term commitments, the Predators are well-positioned to go forward competitively in whatever system is in place for next season and beyond."

That means 16 other Predators won't return to the team and will become unrestricted free agents Thursday.

The team declined to make qualifying offers to Jamie Allison, Greg Classen, Jeremy Stevenson, Brad Bombardir, Wad Flaherty, Tony Hrkac, Andreas Johansson, Rem Murray, Jason York, Sergi Zholtok, Mathieu Darche, Mike Farrell and Ray Schultz.

The Predators also rejected exercising options on Jan Lasak, Curtis Murphy and Robert Schnabel.