The Nashville Predators continued their re-tool by acquiring (RFA) Mavrik Bourque and Ilya Lyubushkin for 2^nd Round Pick in 2027 and a 3^rd Round Pick in 2028.

What the Predators Get:

The Predators get a young forward who they will still need to sign to a contract. Bourque can play both center and wing, and is coming off a 41-point season that actually disguises how successful it was. Bourque hit the 20-goal plateau for the first time, controlling 55% of the goal share while he was on the ice, and doing so in a role that didn't see him sheltered at all.

Bourque's season is even more intriguing though if you separate his first and second halves. I the first half he put up 14 points in 42 games, which would be a 28-point pace if that's how he scored next year. However, in the second half Bourque put up 27 points in 40 games, which equates to 57 points in an 84-game season. To top it off, Bourque is set to have less holding him back from prime deployment in Nashville, and is set to hit his breakout threshold by January. He could be in for a big year on offence, and all it does to their current roster is hold Matthew Wood down from jumping into a big role in the top-six right away.

Bourque isn't just an offensive forward though, he's very responsible on the defensive side of things too, especially considering he's still only 24.

The Predators also acquired Lyubushkin here, who is a third-pair Dman on a contract that Dallas had to shed. He's only signed for one more season, so the Predators can stomach it, and in the meantime, he reinforces some of the younger blueline pieces in Nashville from having to play too many minutes, while still not blocking them on the depth chart if they show they're ready.

What the Stars Lose:

In making this deal the Stars clear some roster and cap space to try and keep Jason Robertson – in the end, that would be a gain, but for now, this deal just takes away from their current roster which is in full win-now mode. The Stars do however end up making some room for younger players to earn a spot farther up the lineup. We could see Justin Hyrckowian and/or Arttu Hyry step up more full-time into roles they held for brief periods last year while they were filling in for injured players.

Ilya Lyubushkin wasn't playing a regular role in Dallas when everyone was healthy, so the Predators taking on his contract without Dallas having to add a draft pick likely factors into the math as part of the return for Bourque.

Players this helps:

Mavrik Bourque

Justin Hyrckowian

Arttu Hyry

Players this hurts:

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Matthew Wood

Joakim Kemell