Bourque Joins Predators
Predators Acquire AHL MVP Mavrik Bourque, Sign Six-Year, $33 Million Deal
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Key Points
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The Predators landed Bourque along with Ilya Lyubushkin by trading Dallas two draft picks: Nashville sent its 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-rounder (the latter originally acquired from Vegas in the Cole Smith deal) to the Stars.
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Contract length appears inconsistent across outlets: some report a five-year, $33 million deal (with a $5.5 million AAV), while others report six years; all notes a $5.5 million annual cap hit.
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Bourque’s $5.5 million AAV places him among Nashville’s top earners; ESPN notes he is tied with Jonathan Marchessault for the third-highest cap hit among Predator forwards.
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Bourque brings a strong AHL pedigree: in 2023-24 he led the AHL in scoring with 26 goals and 77 points in 71 games and won both the Les Cunningham Award (MVP) and the John B. Sollenberger Trophy (top scorer).
Nashville Predators forward Mavrik Bourque has signed a six-year, $33 million contract worth $5.5 million per year, according to ESPN. The deal came just three days after Dallas traded Bourque to Nashville on July 1 to clear salary cap space.
Nashville also received defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin in the trade. In return, the Stars got a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick. Dallas GM Jim Nill called Bourque a 'casualty of the cap world' — meaning his contract simply would not fit under Dallas's salary ceiling.
Dallas Trades Bourque to Free Up Cap Room
The NHL salary cap limits how much teams can spend on players. Dallas needed room to sign other players, so Bourque had to go. GM Jim Nill acknowledged Bourque did nothing wrong. The Stars sent him away purely for financial reasons, not performance ones.
Nashville sent two draft picks to get the deal done. The 2028 third-rounder originally came from Vegas in the Cole Smith trade. By giving up future picks, Nashville signaled it sees Bourque as a core piece — not a stopgap, according to ESPN.
Bourque's Stats Show Why Nashville Acted Fast
Bourque, 24, played all 82 games for Dallas last season. He scored 20 goals and added 21 assists. Dallas drafted him 30th overall in 2020. He spent several years developing in the minor leagues before cracking the NHL lineup full-time.
His AHL résumé stands out. In 2023-24, Bourque led the entire AHL with 77 points in 71 games, scoring 26 goals. He won both the Les Cunningham Award (league MVP) and the John B. Sollenberger Trophy (top scorer). That track record made Nashville move quickly to lock him up, according to Head Topics.
$5.5 Million AAV Places Bourque Among Nashville's Top Forwards
Bourque's $5.5 million cap hit is one of the highest on the Predators' forward group. ESPN reports he is tied with Jonathan Marchessault for the third-highest cap hit among Nashville forwards. The deal runs through the 2031-32 season, at which point Bourque becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Some outlets reported the contract as five years rather than six. All agree on the $5.5 million annual cap hit and the $33 million total value. The difference likely reflects reporting at different stages of the negotiation, according to Head Topics.
Nashville Bets on Bourque as a Long-Term Middle-Six Piece
The Predators expect Bourque to play a bigger role starting in 2025-26. He profiles as a versatile middle-six forward — a player who can produce offensively while fitting into different line combinations. Nashville is building toward sustained playoff contention.
Adding Lyubushkin alongside Bourque gave Nashville both offensive and defensive depth in one deal. The Predators gave up only two picks — neither a first-rounder — to land two NHL-ready players. For a team trying to compete now, that is a strong return, according to SSBCrack News.
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