Nashville, Tenn. (July 1, 2026) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Chris MacFarland announced today that the team has acquired forward Mavrik Bourque (MAV-rikBOHRK) and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin (IHL-yuh lee-oo-BUHSH-kihn) from the Dallas Stars in exchange for Nashville’s second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and Vegas’ third-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
“Mavrik Bourque is a quality, two-way player who will fit perfectly with what we are trying to build here in Nashville,” MacFarland said. “At just 24 years old, his age and style of play fits in with the type of players we are looking to bring in to help make us better. In addition, Ilya Lyubushkin is a veteran defenseman with significant experience who can log minutes and be a physical presence in our own end. We are excited to welcome both players to Nashville.”
Bourque, 24 (1/8/02), recorded career highs in goals (20), assists (21) and points (41) in 2025-26 with the Stars while adding 79 hits and 147 shots in 82 games; his 20 goals were the fourth-most on Dallas. The 5-foot-11, 187-pound forward owns 66 points (31g-35a) in 156 career NHL games for the Stars after debuting in 2023-24. During his time in the AHL with Texas, Bourque recorded 129 points (47g-82a) in 147 outings, leading the AHL in points in 2023-24 with 77 (26g-51a) in 71 games played, earning the league’s Most Valuable Player award. The forward has played in 10 career Stanley Cup Playoff contests, scoring one goal in 14:02 of average ice time.
Lyubushkin, 32 (4/6/94), recorded nine points (1g-8a) and 68 hits in 53 games with Dallas in 2025-26. The 6-foot-2, 206-pound blueliner has posted 70 career points (7g-63a) in 486 NHL contests with Arizona, Toronto, Buffalo, Anaheim and Dallas. The veteran defenseman has played in 30 career playoff games, tallying eight assists.
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