Nashville bolsters its lineup by landing a prolific young scorer and a battle-tested veteran, sacrificing future draft capital to sharpen their competitive edge for the coming seasons.
Chris MacFarland continues to stay busy on the trade block, acquiring forward Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick in a trade with the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.
Bourque packed a punch on the Stars' third line last season, recording 41 points off 20 goals and 21 assists in 82 games. It was his most productive season in the NHL since his first season in 2023-24.
The 5-foot-11, 187-pound righty was selected 30th overall by Dallas in the 2020 NHL Draft. He has reached the end of a 1-year, $950,000 contract and is a restricted free agent.
He is the scoring boost that the Predators need from the third line and possibly the second line, giving Nashville a scoring edge lower in the lineup.
Lyubushkin is a veteran defenseman at 32-years old and has logged nearly 500 NHL games over his career. In 53 games last season, Lyubushkin had nine points one goal and eight assists and 40 penalty minutes.
The 6-foot-2, 206-pound defenseman has one more year left on a three-year, $9.75 million contract. He will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026-27 season.
While he may not have the production Nashville needs on the back end, he is a veteran player from whom younger prospects can benefit greatly. Lyubushkin could also have better chemistry in Nashville than in Dallas.
