How Trade of 2021 NHL Draft Selections Demonstrates Different Direction for Predators Under Chris MacFarland
Size and grit. For years, the Nashville Predators weren't just known for it, opposing teams could count on the franchise focussing on that with man of their selections in the NHL Draft.
The first general manager, David Poile, who set the tone of the franchise, was especially known for his big-body teams that had size, strength, and aggressive forechecking (along with cornerstone defensemen) and his disciple Barry Trotz followed suit, especially with his physical, heavy forwards.
This isn't to suggest that new general manager Chris MacFarland will she away from adding those kinds of players, far from it. But his initial trades have more than left clues as for how he wants to building the franchise moving forward.
A perfect example is what MacFarland has already done with Nashville's top players selected in the 2021 NHL Draft. The Predators had two first-round picks that year, and used both on resilient talents who they hoped to turn into the kinds of grinding forwards that opposing teams hate to face. The traded the now 23-year-olds for more immediate help.
Specifically, he traded away forwards Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L'Heureux, the No. 19- and 27- overall selections in 2021.
We'll start with Svechkov. When Poile drafted him, he called the Russian's appearance in the 2021 World U18 Championship his “coming out party’ while winning a silver medal. He had also tallied 15 points (four goals and 11 assists) in 15 games for Lada Togliatti of the Russian second league and appeared to be on the verge of playing at a higher level.
However, his game has yet to fully translate to North America. Svechkov's best season in the Predators organization was his first in the AHL with Milwaukee, where he had 39 points in 2023-24. He twice notched just 17 points with the Predators, in 52 games and 70 in 2024-25 and 2025-26, respectively.
L'Heureux, out of Quebec, was selected after Nashville traded up, sending the Carolina Hurricanes the No. 40- and No. 51-overall picks in the second round (used to take forward Ville Koivunen and goaltender Patrik Hamrla). He's been suspended numerous times during his career and had just five points in 25 games last season.
So why did MacFarland deal team to his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, for Chase Bradley, Jack Drury and a 2029 third-round draft pick? Because the 26-year-old Drury was a known entity who could be an immediate team staple, and help minimize the loss of veteran forward Michael McCarron, who was traded last season to the Minnesota Wild.
"Jack Drury is a hard-working, reliable, full-sheet of the ice center who can handle the tough assignments while being elite in the face-off circle," MacFarland said during a recent press conference. "His addition to our forward group bolsters our depth in the middle of the ice, and we’re thrilled to have him on our roster. We’re also excited to add Chase Bradley — another young forward who’s had some NHL experience — to our overall organizational depth at forward."
Don't underestimate the roles that MacFarland was able to fill by adding Drury, which is why four days later Nashville gave a five-year, $22.5 million contract extension to a player who had 10 goals and 17 assists last season. The 42nd-overall selection by Carolina in the 2018 NHL Draft, played at Harvard, and his father was in the league for eight seasons, but he was also an important part of the team that won the President's Trophy for having the best regular-season record in 2025-26.
Combined with the trade acquiring forward Ross Colton from the Avalanche, and at minimum Nashville has a solid, established third line instead of a bunch of question marks about who might step up among the prospects. That sent a strong message from MacFarland about this team's potential and the urgency to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Drury trade also foreshadowed Nashville selecting Wyatt Cullen, the son of former Predators forward Matt Cullen, No. 10 overall in the 2026 NHL Draft just two days later. That selection, and trading up to take defenseman Thomas Bleyel at pick No. 31, more than signaled the start of a different identity for Nashville — both in general and in the draft.
Name | Round | Pick | Pos. | Overall | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fedor Svechkov | 1 | 19 | C | 19 | Togliatti (Russia) |
Zachary L'Heureux | 1 | 27 | LW | 27 | Halifax (QMJHL) |
Anton Olsson | 3 | 8 | D | 72 | Malmo (Sweden) |
Ryan Ufko | 4 | 19 | D | 115 | Chicago (USHL) |
Jack Matier | 4 | 28 | D | 124 | Ottawa (OHL) |
Simon Knak | 6 | 19 | LW | 179 | Portland (WHL) |
Here's a look at the other players the Predators selected in the 2021 NHL Draft:
• Anton Olsson is still in Sweden, but there didn't seem to be a lot of growth after moving up from the juniors. Last season he had six goals and 10 assists in 58 games for Lukko of the Liiga. In 2025, the Predators did not sign him to an entry-level contract, making him an unrestricted free agent in the NHL.
• Fourth-round selection Ryan Ufko, has been the bright spot of Nashville's draft class and has developed into the organization's top defensive prospect. He finished his collegiate career at UMass with 23 goals and 58 assists in 106 games, and he helped lead Team USA to the bronze medal at the 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
• Last season was his third with the Milwaukee Admirals in the NHL and despite being on the blue line had a team-high 33 assists and 11 goals for 44 points. He also played in 18 games with the Predators and notched another 11 points. The guess here is that the Predators will start grooming to take over running the power play as Roman Josi's eventual replacement.
• Jack Matier is a 6-5 right-handed defenseman, but doesn't have much of an offensive presence. He spent time split time between AHL Milwaukee and ECHL Atlanta this past season and ended up playing in the ECHL playoffs. Matier subsequently didn't receive a qualifying offer from the Predators, making him an unrestricted free agent.
• Simon Knak is a forward who has played the last five seasons with HC Davos of the National League in Switzerland, but is set to join the ZSC Lions after signing a 5-year deal during the offseason. He also played for the Swiss in the recent Olympics and the World Championship. The 23-year-old has good size (6-2, 203) and played two games for the Milwaukee Admirals in 2022-23. The Predators still hold his NHL rights.
Note: This is the sixth story in an offseason series looking back on each of the Predators' drafts, and what happened to each player selected. The 2022 story can be found here. The series started with a revisit to the 1998 expansion draft.
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Christopher Walsh is the publisher of Nashville Predators On SI. He's also the founder of Alabama Crimson Tide On SI, which first published as BamaCentral in 2018, and the publisher of Boston Bruins On SI, along with the Boston College Eagles, Miami Hurricanes, and Vanderbilt Commodores sites. The longstanding sports writer is the author of 26 books including “100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die” and “Nick Saban vs. College Football.” He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and the only four-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.