Mavrik Bourque Excited To Learn and Grow In Nashville
The Nashville Predators are set to take the ice this month as hockey returns to Bridgestone Arena for the 2026-27 season. Fans will see fresh faces on Broadway this season after new general manager Chris MacFarland's retooling of the roster this summer. MacFarland traded for a few of his former Colorado Avalanche players, in Ross Colton and Jack Drury, but the biggest impact may come from former Dallas Star Mavrik Bourque.
The Predators sent a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick to the Dallas Stars for Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubuskin. Nashville affirmed its commitment to Bourque three days later by signing him to a six-year, $33 million contract with a $5.5 million cap hit through the 2031-32 season.
"Yeah, like you said, it means a lot," Bourque said on NHL Tonight. "You get traded, you're not really sure, you know. I knew I was going to probably get moved, and obviously getting to a place where the team offers you a six-year deal, it means that you mean something to them, and at the same time on my side I want to show them that they did the right move."
Mavrik Bourque was traded to the @PredsNHL after a breakout season in Dallas last year.
— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) August 31, 2026
The newest member of the Predators joined #NHLTonight to discuss the trade, his new contract and more!
đź“ş: NHL Tonight on NHL Network pic.twitter.com/uEQhS2NMcj
Dallas drafted Bourque with a first round pick in 2020. He dominated in the AHL, winning the Les Cunningham Award as league MVP in 2023-24 putting up 26 goals and 77 points in 71 games. The Stars called him up in April of 2024 and he became a full time player the following year. Bourque has 31 goals and 66 points in two seasons for the Stars and appears poised to establish himself as one of the top young forwards in the NHL.
Bourque lamented over his time in Dallas with NHL Network, but is looking forward to the opportunity to break out in Nashville this season.
"Yeah, obviously, I really liked Dallas, for me it really felt like home, so I didn't want to get traded at all," Bourque said. "It's a business, and with the cap situation now these days, I knew a trade was probably coming. I felt like I was in a good situation over there, but on the other side, I get to a place where I will have more opportunity and get a six-year deal. Yeah, so I think it worked out good and I'm happy to be a Nashville Predator now."
Bourque's played three games in Bridgestone Arena with the Stars, scoring a goal and three points against his new team. He said that's about all of Nashville that he knows so far, but credited a new teammate from his home town for preparing him for life in Tennessee.
"Not much, to be honest," Bourque said. "I know [Matt] Duchene brought us some on his golf course here at Troubadour, but the rest, I know one bar on Broadway and one dinner spot, so that's pretty much it. But Marcia's [Jonathan Marchessault] also from Quebec City, so he invited me over a few times this summer. So he was talking to me about the city a little bit more. So kind of learned it a little bit more from him."
He's only been with the Predators a short time, but the 24-year-old is looking forward to growing his game in the middle of a veteran filled locker room.
"Yeah, it's going to be great, I think. Especially for me being a young guy, being around those guys and [Steven] Stamkos, a guy that's always scored his entire career, just learning from the way he scored. A guy like [Ryan] O'Reilly, like I've only been here for four days and just the way he approaches every practice and puts in the extra time, I'm grateful to have the chance to learn from those guys."
Bourque and the Predators open training camp this month, with the first preseason game coming on Sept. 20 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The young center has a few weeks to acclimate to Nashville's roster as the organization looks to return to the playoffs after a two-year absence.
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Joe Gaither covers the Nashville Predators for Nashville Predators On SI. He also oversees videos and podcasts for Alabama Crimson Tide On SI/BamaCentral. He began his sports media career in radio in 2019, working for three years in Tuscaloosa covering the University of Alabama and other local high school sports. In 2023 he joined BamaCentral to cover a variety of Crimson Tide sports and recruiting, in addition to hosting the “Joe Gaither Show” podcast. His work has also appeared on the Boston College, Miami, Missouri and Vanderbilt college On SI sites.