Predators trade for Bourque, Colton, Drury to bolster forward group

After the NHL Draft, free agency and other offseason moves, NHL.com is examining where each team stands in preparation for the 2026-27 regular season, which starts Sept. 29. Today, the Nashville Predators:

2025-26 season: 38-34-10, sixth in Central Division; missed Stanley Cup Playoffs

Key arrivals

Mavrik Bourque, F: The 24-year-old was acquired in a trade with the Dallas Stars along with defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin for two draft picks July 1. The Predators signed Bourque, who was a restricted free agent, to a six-year contract July 4. Bourque had 41 points (20 goals, 21 assists) in 82 games last season, averaging 15:29 of ice time per game and finishing with a plus-6 rating. His NHL career-high of 20 goals were the fourth most on the Stars. … Ross Colton, F: The 29-year-old was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche on June 16. Colton had 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 73 games last season, and five points (two goals, three assists) in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He has 176 points (89 goals, 87 assists) in 404 regular-season games and won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021, when he scored the Cup-clinching goal in Game 5. … Jack Drury, F: The 26-year-old was acquired in a trade with the Avalanche on June 24, and four days later signed a five-year contract. Drury had 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) and was plus-15 in 82 games last season, averaging 14:29 of ice time per game. He had five points (three goals, two assists) in 13 playoff games. … Adam Edstrom, F: The 25-year-old was acquired from the New York Rangers on June 27. Edstrom was limited to 35 games with the Rangers last season because of an injury and had five points (three goals, two assists). He has 16 points (10 goals, six assists) in 97 NHL games, all with New York. … Nils Hoglander, F: The 25-year-old was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on June 29 for a third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft. Hoglander played 38 games last season and had five points (two goals, three assists). He scored an NHL-high 24 goals in 2023-24, and has 120 points (60 goals, 60 assists) in 331 games, all with Vancouver. … Alex Kerfoot, F: The 31-year-old signed a two-year contract July 1. Kerfoot had 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 34 games for the Utah Mammoth last season. He has 305 points (105 goals, 200 assists) in 639 NHL games. … Ilya Lyubushkin, D: The 32-year-old had nine points (one goal, eight assists) and 68 hits in 53 games last season. Lyubushkin has 70 points (seven goals, 63 assists) in 486 NHL games. … Chris MacFarland: Hired as general manager and president of hockey operations June 2, replacing Barry Trotz, who was GM for the past three seasons and has transitioned into an advisory role. MacFarland was Colorado's GM the past four seasons after he was an assistant to GM Joe Sakic from 2015-22, helping build the Avalanche into a Stanley Cup championship team in the 2021-22 season. In his four seasons as GM, the Avalanche won the Presidents' Trophy (2025-26), finished first in the Central Division twice, led the NHL in wins (205), scored the second-most goals per game (3.50) and allowed the fourth-fewest goals per game (2.75).

Key departures

 Erik Haula, F: Signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings on July 1 after he had 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) in 81 games last season. … Zachary L'Heureux, F: Traded to the Avalanche in the deal that brought Drury to Nashville after he had five points (four goals, one assist) in 25 games last season. … Fedor Svechkov, F: Traded with L'Heureux to Colorado, he had 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 70 games last season.

On the cusp

Brady Martin, F: The 19-year-old was the No. 5 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Martin played three games for the Predators at the start of last season and had an assist before going back to the Ontario Hockey League, where he had 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) in 24 games for the Soo Greyhounds and was team captain. Martin also had eight points (four goals, four assists) for Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship. He went to the American Hockey League to join Milwaukee for the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs, where he had a goal in three games. … Joakim Kemell, F: The 22-year-old played 16 games for the Predators last season and had a goal and two assists. Kemell, the No. 17 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, also had 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 48 games with Milwaukee. He has been a mostly full-time AHL player for three seasons and could graduate to the NHL full time this season, although the competition is fierce after the Predators restocked their bottom-six forward group with the additions of Colton, Drury, Edstrom, Kerfoot and Hoglander, who has a chance to play in the top six. … Vitali Pinchuk, F: The Predators signed the 24-year-old to a one-year contract April 27. He was third in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League with 31 goals and tied for sixth with 66 points last season, when he played 65 games for Dinamo Minsk. Pinchuk, a 6-foot-3, 203-pound center, is a three-time KHL All-Star. He had seven points (two goals, five assists) in eight playoff games last season. … Ryan Ufko, D: The 23-year-old played 18 games at the end of last season and had 11 points (two goals, nine assists). Prior to being recalled to Nashville, Ufko had 44 points (11 goals, 33 assists) in 52 AHL games. He was chosen in the fourth round (No. 115) of the 2021 NHL Draft. … Tanner Molendyk, D: The 21-year-old, a first-round pick (No. 24) in the 2023 NHL Draft, played last season for Milwaukee, where he had 23 points (four goals, 19 assists) in 60 games as an AHL rookie.

What they still need

A No. 1 center. It's possible that could be Bourque, though the jury is out on that because he's never been tasked with a role even remotely close to being the top center on his NHL team. Martin could be the future No. 1 center, but it would be asking a lot of him to take on that role at 19 years old. Ryan O'Reilly is the default No. 1 option now, though he's more suited for a No. 2 or No. 3 role at this point in his career.

They said it

"We want to surround our young NHL players with character builders, guys that have seen winning, touched winning, that know what it looks like, and can teach these young guys what goes into that on and off the ice. I think some of the players that we've added, like Jack Drury and Mavrik Bourque and Ross Colton, they've seen what winning looks like, and they can certainly impart some things to our young guys, and that's what we want them to do." -- Predators general manager Chris MacFarland

EDGE stat to watch

Steven Stamkos, who has eight 40-goal seasons in the NHL (tied for seventh most in history), bounced back last season with 42 goals (tied for ninth), including 14 on the power play (tied for 10th) and 10 game-winning goals (second). The 36-year-old ranked among the forward leaders in high-danger goals (19; 96th percentile), midrange goals (13; 96th percentile), high-danger shots on goal (63; 87th percentile), hardest shot (95.00 mph; 97th percentile) and offensive zone time percentage (45.6 percent; 91st percentile). -- Chris Meaney

Fantasy spin

Bourque goes from one of the deepest fantasy teams in Dallas to Nashville, where he could get more consistent top-six usage and power-play time with exposure to elite players like Filip Forsberg, Stamkos and Roman Josi. Bourque, who set NHL career highs in goals (20), assists (21) and shots on goal (147) last season, is likely to play much bigger minutes than he did with the Stars (14:09 per game, including 0:52 on power play, over his first 156 NHL regular-season games). He should be considered a fantasy breakout candidate in the late rounds of standard drafts and is worth prioritizing in keeper and dynasty leagues. -- Pete Jensen

Projected lineup

Filip Forsberg -- Mavrik Bourque -- Matthew Wood

Steven Stamkos -- Ryan O'Reilly -- Luke Evangelista

Nils Hoglander -- Ross Colton -- Jonathan Marchessault

Alexander Kerfoot -- Jack Drury -- Adam Edstrom

Roman Josi -- Nick Perbix

Brady Skjei -- Justin Barron

Nicolas Hague -- Ilya Lyubushkin

Juuse Saros

Justus Annunen