Predators land Mavrik Bourque, Ilya Lyubushkin from Stars in trade for future draft picks

The Nashville Predators have made another aggressive roster move, acquiring forward Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Dallas Stars in exchange for future draft picks, according to Yahoo Sports. The trade is framed as Nashville adding both a young scoring presence and a veteran defensive piece as it looks to sharpen its lineup for the seasons ahead.

The price for the Predators’ offseason additions is a pair of future picks. Nashville will send a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick to Dallas, the Yahoo report said. The picks component is central to the transaction’s meaning: Nashville is betting that Bourque and Lyubushkin can provide near-term value that outweighs the cost of moving those draft assets.

Bourque’s part in the deal is described by the report as a “prolific young scorer,” indicating a focus on adding offensive production to the Predators’ forward group. For teams building toward playoff contention, young scoring wingers and playmakers can reshape top-six usage and improve depth at even strength, particularly if they are capable of sustaining production over multiple roles.

Lyubushkin, meanwhile, is characterized in the report as “battle-tested,” pointing to the club’s intent to shore up its defensive identity. In practical roster terms, acquiring a veteran defenseman typically aims at stabilizing pairings, supporting penalty kill structure, and giving coaches more reliable options for late-game minutes, even when the team is dealing with the ebbs and flows of an NHL regular season.

The Predators’ front office, led by general manager Chris MacFarland, has been described as “busy on the trade block” in the Yahoo report. That characterization situates this move within a broader offseason pattern: instead of waiting for internal development alone, Nashville is using draft capital to alter the team’s competitive profile now.

What Nashville still needs to determine, as with any mid-summer trade, is how quickly the new personnel can be integrated into systems and roles. Bourque’s immediate fit depends on line assignments and deployment, while Lyubushkin’s impact will be shaped by the defensive pairs and zone responsibilities Nashville assigns him. Without further official detail in the report, the full picture of usage and on-ice responsibilities remains to be clarified.

For Dallas, the trade indicates a shift toward reloading through the draft pipeline, trading established NHL parts for additional future selection capital. The 2027 and 2028 draft picks the Stars receive could become key ingredients in their next roster cycle, particularly if Dallas targets prospects aligned with the needs of its prospect pool over the coming years.