Newly Acquired Nashville Center Signs 5-Year Contract Extension
The Nashville Predators traded with Colorado for center Jack Drury on June 24. Four days later, the organization has signed him to a five-year contract extension worth $22.5 million, tying him to the franchise through the 2030-2031 season, according to an announcement by the franchise.
A new chapter begins 🤝
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) June 28, 2026
We’ve signed forward Jack Drury to a five-year, $22.5 million contract.
Full details » https://t.co/LpAf6A6cDB pic.twitter.com/SvFq4UEesz
Drury made his NHL debut with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2021-2022 at 21-years-old. He played in four different seasons for the Hurricanes before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche, where current Predators President and GM Chris MacFarland served as general manager. Drury played in 115 games in a season and half for the Avalanche, scoring 36 points, winning 57-percent of faceoffs, with 82 blocks, 74 hits and 31 takeaways.
"Jack Drury, he’s still young, he's 26 years old, he's got a lot of hockey in front of him," MacFarland said. "He’s an elite, two-way defensive center who, if he's not one of the best defensive guys in the League, I don't know who is, but I think the really important part for me with Jack is he's a culture changer. He’s a competitive guy on and off the ice that does the right things day in and day out that help teams win hockey games, and I think his impact on an organization goes beyond the ice. It’s in the locker room. The impact on the future young Preds, whether it's Brady Martin or [Egor] Surin or [David] Edstrom or Felix Nilsson - it’s really hard to put a number on that. But having been around him and seeing what he does live and in color, there are things that he will impact that you can't put a just can't put a value on.”
Alex Daughtery of the Tennessean reports Drury has a no-trade clause through the first three years of the new deal with modifications in the final two. The 26-year-old will be 31 at the end of the extended contract, tying Drury to the franchise throughout his prime.
Drury won the 2019 World Junior Championship with the United States, the Swedish Hockey League title with the Växjö Lakers in 2020-21, and then the AHL's Calder Cup with Chicago in 2021-22 before his time in the NHL. He comes from NHL pedigree as his father, Ted, played eight seasons in the league, and his uncle, Chris, is the current president of hockey operations/general manager for the New York Rangers.
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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.