Nashville Predators Acquire Mavrik Bourque from Dallas Stars, Sign Him to Six-Year, $33 Million Contract

The Nashville Predators signed center Mavrik Bourque to a six-year, $33 million contract on Saturday. The 24-year-old had been acquired from the Dallas Stars three days earlier. Nashville sent its own 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick originally belonging to the Vegas Golden Knights to Dallas in exchange for Bourque and veteran defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin.

Bourque recorded 20 goals and 21 assists in 82 games during the 2025-26 season with Dallas while averaging 15:29 of ice time per game. He had earned $950,000 on a one-year contract the prior season. The new deal carries a $5.5 million salary cap hit through the 2031-32 season, after which Bourque becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Lyubushkin carries a $3.25 million cap hit. Dallas had obtained the 2028 third-round pick earlier in 2026 from Vegas in exchange for forward Cole Smith. Dallas general manager Jim Nill said the team drafted Bourque 30th overall in 2020 but could not retain him as a restricted free agent.

"You have to be cap compliant, and those decisions have to be made. He bet on himself last year," Nill said. "Where his contract was going, it was something that we wouldn't be able to fit in. " Bourque is tied with Jonathan Marchessault for the third-highest cap hit among Nashville forwards.

The signing represents the largest move to date by new Predators general manager Chris MacFarland, who replaced Barry Trotz after arriving from the Colorado Avalanche.