The Nashville Predators have had a busy first day of free agency, acquiring forward Mavrik Bourque and veteran defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Dallas Stars via trade and signing unrestricted free agent forward Alex Kerfoot to a two-year, $7 million deal.
The Predators gave up a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick in the deal with Dallas.
TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston notes the Preds are working towards a contract extension with Bourque, who was considered to be an offer sheet candidate on Wednesday.
Bourque, 24, had 20 goals and 41 points in 82 games with the Stars last season. He added a goal in six playoff games as the Stars were eliminated in the first round.
The 5-foot-11 centre is coming off a one-year, $950,000 contract.
Drafted 30th overall by the Stars in 2020, Bourque has 31 Mavrik Bourque goals and 66 points in 156 career games.
Bourque recorded 26 goals and 77 points in 71 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars during the 2023-24 campaign, taking home the Les Cunningham Award as league MVP and the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the AHL’s top scorer.
Lyubushkin, a 32-year-old from Russia, scored one goal and added eight assists over 53 games with the Stars in 2025-26, his second campaign in Dallas.
Lyubushkin has tallied seven goals and 63 assists over 486 career games with the Arizona Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, Anaheim Ducks and Stars.
He’s entering the final season of a three-year contract featuring an average annual value of $3.25 million.
Kerfoot, 31, only appeared in 34 games last season with the Utah Mammoth, recording seven goals and 13 points, while he was dealing with a severe core muscle injury.
He added an assist in six playoff games before the Mammoth were eliminated in the first round.
The 5-foot-11 centre is coming off a one-year, $3 million contract.
Drafted 150th overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2012, Kerfoot has 105 goals and 305 points in 639 career games split between the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Arizona Coyotes, and Mammoth.
