The Dallas Stars have traded restricted free agent forward Mavrik Bourque and veteran defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin to the Nashville Predators for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick.
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.
