According to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, contract negotiations between defenceman Ryan Ellis and the Nashville Predators are apparently not going well.

McKenzie tweeted that the restricted free agent is nowhere close to a new deal with the Predators. His three-year entry-level contract expired at the end of last season.

The Predators tendered Ellis a qualifying offer on June 30.

Ellis, 23, is coming off a season in which he scored six goals and 21 assists in 80 games for Nashville. In 144 games over parts of three seasons Ellis has 11 goals and 33 assists.

He was Nashville's first round pick (11th overall) in the 2009 draft.