Jack Drury didn’t need much time to get comfortable in Nashville colors.
The former Colorado Avalanche forward scored his first goal for the Predators on Saturday, finishing in the third period of a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues.
The goal came 8:14 into the final frame, when captain Roman Josi slid a pass across the ice to Drury at the front of the net. Drury beat Blues goalie Jordan Binnington to stretch Nashville’s lead.
Drury’s goal was enough to make the scoreline 5-2 and put his name on the board with his new club almost immediately after his arrival from Colorado in the offseason.
That move ended a stint that began when Colorado brought him in from the Carolina Hurricanes in January 2025 as part of the blockbuster deal that sent Mikko Rantanen to Carolina and brought Martin Necas and Drury to the Avalanche.
After that trade, Drury played 33 regular-season games for Colorado and produced five goals and four assists. He also suited up in all seven playoff games that spring before the Avalanche were knocked out by the Dallas Stars.
He stayed with Colorado through the entire 2025-26 season and became a durable fixture in the lineup, appearing in all 82 regular-season games. Drury set a career high with 10 goals and matched his previous best with 27 points, adding 17 assists along the way. Even with that steady role, his Avalanche run ended in the offseason.
Colorado reportedly wanted to keep him, but the sides couldn’t come together on a contract. Drury was seeking a salary higher than what the Avalanche were prepared to pay for a fourth-line center, and the team eventually moved on. Nashville then acquired him for Zachary L'Heureux and Fedor Svechkov before signing him to a five-year, $22.5 million contract on June 28.
His value in the postseason was part of the appeal, too. In 13 playoff games across his final two seasons with Colorado, Drury put up three goals and two assists for five points.
One of those goals was shorthanded in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. Colorado was swept by Vegas, closing the book on that run.
Drury wasn’t the only former Avalanche forward to land in Nashville this offseason. The Predators also added Ross Colton in a separate trade, and Colton scored his first goal for Nashville on Oct. 10 in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators.
Now Drury has joined him on the scoresheet, giving Nashville another former Avalanche skater who has already found the back of the net with his new team. For Colorado, Drury’s departure wrapped up a run of 115 regular-season games, 15 goals, 21 assists and 36 points.
In Other News...
Avalanche Forward Depth Tested Again After Another Zach LHeureux Setback
Zach LHeureuxs return to the Avalanche lineup will have to wait a little longer after another injury interruption slowed what was already a delayed start to his season. The forward is now dealing with an upper-body issue unrelated to the lower-body problem that had kept him out before, and head coach Jared Bednar said he will miss at least two more games as the team heads out on the road.
Bednar also confirmed LHeureux will not travel with the club on the upcoming trip, another frustrating pause for a player trying to get his season moving. For Colorado, it adds one more test to a forward group that has already had to manage depth concerns before getting much of a look at what LHeureux can provide. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Could Get Pulled Back Into A Goalie Saga Fast
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For the Avalanche, the appeal is obvious enough to be part of the buzz. They do have goaltending options, but a name like Hellebuyck can change the temperature of a situation quickly if Winnipeg opens the door. Buffalo has also been floated as a possible fit, and for now this remains speculation rather than a clear-cut market, but Colorado would be wise to stay attentive if the Jets posture shifts once Hellebuyck is back in the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Bednar Just Put Colorados Biggest Avs Concern Front And Center
The Avalanche shook off an early hole and rolled past the Penguins 5-2, getting important production from Artturi Lehkonen, T.J. Hughes and Nathan MacKinnon along the way. For one night, the scoring depth showed up the way Colorado expects it to, and the result was a reminder of how dangerous this group can be when it gets into rhythm.
Even after the win, Jared Bednar made it clear the bigger question for Colorado is not talent but consistency. He pointed to the need for the team to bring the same intensity and discipline from start to finish, a familiar concern as the Avalanche head into road games against the Flyers and Devils while working through injuries and uneven play. [Read more 🡒]