Chris MacFarland didn’t waste any time reshaping the Nashville Predators, and the early returns have been hard to miss. The new general manager arrived with a clear plan to add depth, and three of his offseason acquisitions have quickly turned into the team’s most effective line.
MacFarland’s first move came through a familiar connection with the Colorado Avalanche and Joe Sakic. Nashville landed Ross Colton and goalie Isak Posch in exchange for goaltender Magnus Chrona and two third-round picks. The fit was obvious from the start, especially after the Predators had lost forward depth and two-way presence with the departures of Cole Smith, Michael McCarron, and Colton Sissons.
"Ross is a versatile, two-way winger who will add sandpaper and grit into our middle six group."
Colton has backed that up with production. He has scored in three straight games and has five points over his last five, all while starting just 34.7% of his shifts in the offensive zone, according to Dobbers Frozen Tools. Head coach Andrew Brunette has leaned on him in the defensive zone because of that reliability and his ability to turn the puck back the other way.
Eight days later, MacFarland went back to Colorado again, sending Zachary L'Heureux and Fydor Svechkov to the Avalanche for Chase Bradley, Jack Drury, and a third-round pick. Drury has brought exactly the kind of value Nashville needed in its depth group: strong work in his own end and a real edge in the faceoff circle. It came at the cost of two young players the organization had spent years developing, but the Predators added something rare in the modern NHL, a center in his prime.
"Jack Drury is a hard-working, reliable, full-sheet of the ice center who can handle the tough assignments while being elite in the faceoff circle"
Drury’s defensive game has already earned him a major role on the penalty kill. Nashville’s penalty kill sits third in the league, and he’s been part of that success.
His faceoff numbers haven’t fully clicked yet, though there are signs of a turnaround. He’s at a career-low 48.6% win rate on the season, but over the last four games he’s up to 55.7 percent.
The final piece arrived from the New York Rangers, where Nashville picked up Adam Edstrom for Massimo Rizzo and a fifth-round pick. At 6-foot-7, Edstrom barely registered as a headline move in Music City at first, but that changed once word spread about his camp and the physical presence he could bring.
Edstrom has taken on a bigger role since arriving. He’s averaging 15:30 of ice time, nearly six minutes more per game than he averaged over parts of three seasons in New York.
He’s also become a penalty-killing option and has delivered two shorthanded goals. Offensively, he’s already set a new career high with six goals.
And he’s brought another element the roster needed: speed. NHL Edge Stats has him in the 84th percentile in max skating speed and the 97th percentile in skating speed bursts over 20 mph.
The three have meshed into a line that Brunette clearly trusts. After the win over Carolina, he said, "If it’s not our best line, it’s our second-best line all through the year."
"They were exceptional tonight," he added after the victory over the defending Cup champions, a game in which Nashville’s third line played a major role.
The numbers back up the eye test. The trio has logged 99:56 together, just four seconds shy of 100 minutes, and they’ve posted a 55.8% Corsi for while outscoring opponents by two goals. They’ve also piled up 125 hits and have been noticeable every time they hop over the boards.
Nashville is riding a four-game winning streak and sitting in a wildcard position near American Thanksgiving. MacFarland has already made several moves to strengthen the roster, including the recent Shane Wright deal, and he’s targeted a similar age range with Edstrom and Drury to fit around veterans like Colton and core pieces Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg. With plenty of season left, the Predators have found a line that is driving results - and MacFarland may not be done adding to it.
In Other News...
Oilers Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About This Goalie Trade Idea
A trade idea floated around Edmonton this week has a familiar name attached to it for Predators fans, and it is the kind of proposal that tends to get people talking for all the wrong reasons. Erik Johnson suggested the Oilers should explore the goalie market, with Jordan Binnington of the Blues mentioned first and another high-end target from Nashville also in the mix, even as the discussion centered on whether Edmonton really needs to go hunting at all.
The case for making a move is shaky from the start, especially with the Oilers already carrying Devon Levi, Tristan Jarry and Frederik Andersen. Binningtons uneven season has only added to the doubt, and the Nashville angle comes with its own complications, making the whole idea feel more theoretical than practical for a team that may already have enough in place between the pipes. [Read more 🡒]