Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Chris MacFarland announced Wednesday that he acquired forward Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 2027 2nd and Vegas' 2028 3rd.
In his first months with the Predators organization, MacFarland has singlehandely flipped things around, prioritizes NHL-ready, young talent over veteran presence. With the addition of Bourque, a right-handed center, the team's forward core just keeps getting deeper. Lyubushkin, a right-handed defenseman, helps to solidify our blueline, adding another experienced, yet skilled defenseman into the mix.
"Mavrik Bourque is a quality, two-way player who will fit perfectly with what we are trying to build here in Nashville,” MacFarland said in a press release. “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."nashvillepredators.com
Bourque adds youth and skill to Predators middle-six group
Bourque, 24, was drafted 30th overall by the Stars in 2020, playing 156 games with the club. In that stretch, he's tallied 31 goals and 66 points while sitting at a +12 rating. He broke out last season, scoring 20 goals and 41 points with a 13.6-shooting percentage. The 5-foot-11 center led the AHL in points during the 2023-24 campaign with 77 (26g, 51a), taking home the the league's MVP award.
The Quebec native is a skilled, two-way forward with a strong touch on scoring. In his time with Dallas, he demonstrated his motor and relentless energy to create plays, using speed and toughness to skate past defenders with no problem. He likes to play around with the puck, deceiving the opposition with excellent stickhandling and puck control. Despite his smaller frame, Bourque held his own in physicality, ranking 10th in team hits with 78.
What makes this a strong add for the Predators isn't just his skill, it's his versatility. With them wanting to put prospects in the mix this season, Bourque's willingness to play both center and the wing is great. A center prospect comes up; put him on the wing, and vice versa. The lineup continues to condense, but that isn't a bad thing for Nashville. Here's what the forward group could look like comes October.
Forsberg - O'Reilly - Evangelista
Stamkos - Wood - Bourque
Hoglander - Drury - Marchessault
Colton - Martin - Kemell
If MacFarland wants to open up a few more spots for prospects to come in, trading away pieces like Ryan O'Reilly and Jonathan Marchessault does just that. In the end, however, I believe he knows what he's doing, and over time he can decide when to move off of some of the veteran talents. He's adding pieces that can fill out the bottom six, giving the youngsters more time to develop in the AHL and in juniors while the veteran contracts expire.
In the meantime, MacFarland needs to re-sign Bourque as he's currently a restricted free agent. The Predators have around $14.5 million in cap space, so signing him shouldn't be an issue. Preds beat reporter Nick Kieser reported that an extension could be settled around $5.5-6 million AAV with five years length, a solid deal if he continues to impress.
Lyubushkin is a questionable move, but a reliable one
At 32-years-old, Lyubushkin is the oldest player MacFarland's acquired so far in his Nashville tenure. The undrafted defenseman has played 486 games over his eight-season career, playing for six teams before joining the Predators. While he is more of a stay-at-home blueliner, he has scored a healthy 70 points.
Standing at 6-foot-2, 206 pounds, Lyubushkin carries a large presence on the ice. He racked up 68 hits and 90 blocked shots. For the Predators, he'll help assist the bottom two lines, potentially replacing Nick Perbix in the process. His addition brings some worry to the immediate return of Ryan Ufko. He had an amazing opening start with Nashville, but with the two sharing the same side, Ufko may return to the press box or even the AHL for the start of the season. Here's what the lines could be opening night.
Skjei - Josi
Hague - Perbix
Wilsby - Lyubushkin
Lyubushkin's contract is fine, for us at least. He has one more year left at $3.25 million. If the Predators decide to flip him at the deadline, retaining him at 50% could return some valuable assets in return.
With the trade in the books, this team is definitely in a better spot than they were last season. With free agency underway, we'll just have to see what else MacFarland has up his sleeve.
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