Mavrik Bourque is getting a real shot to settle into the middle for Nashville, and that might be one of the more important pieces of the Predators’ summer.
New GM Chris MacFarland told NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika that Bourque will get “ every opportunity to excel in the middle of the ice.” That matters because Bourque has spent most of his NHL time on the wing in Dallas, even though he’s a natural center. Now he’s in a spot where Nashville can see whether he can help solve a position the club has been trying to stabilize for a while.
That need has been obvious. Ryan O’Reilly has been pushed into a number one role that doesn’t really fit him anymore, while Steven Stamkos can line up down the middle but is generally viewed as a better winger at this stage. Bourque signed a six-year, $33MM contract soon after being acquired, so if he can lock down a regular center job and keep contributing offensively, the move could end up looking like one of the stronger additions across the league this summer.
MacFarland also made clear he’d like to improve the back end, even if it won’t be easy. The target is more puck skill on defense, and that’s an area where Nashville is thin beyond Roman Josi.
Brady Skjei has shown some offensive ability before, but last season was quieter for him on that side of the puck. Justin Barron hasn’t matched the production he posted in the lower levels, and the rest of the group leans much more toward the stay-at-home mold.
The market, though, doesn’t offer a lot of obvious help. Former Predator Nick Blankenburg stands out as one of the better offensive fits available, and veteran John Klingberg would also check that box.
The wrinkle is that Nashville already has seven defensemen signed for next season. If MacFarland does choose to add another one, the Predators have the room to make it happen, with more than $7.6MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.
There’s also a bigger question hanging over the blue line: should Nashville even be thinking about keeping Josi in the long run? Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean floated the idea of moving the captain instead. Josi has two years left on his contract at a $9.059MM AAV, and at 36, there’s no guarantee he’ll be back on a new deal after that.
MacFarland has talked about building something sustainable, not just patching holes for the short term. With the teams sitting ahead of Nashville in the Central Division, the more realistic window to contend may come after Josi’s contract runs out. From that angle, a trade now could help the Predators set up the next version of the roster.
Still, Josi remains a major piece when he’s healthy. He missed 14 games last season with an upper-body injury and 29 games in 2024-25 because of a pair of injuries, but he was still productive when in the lineup, finishing with 13 goals and 42 assists in 68 games last season. Even so, while moving him might make sense in a long-term blueprint, it doesn’t sound like Nashville is in a place to seriously consider that right now, especially with the team already adding and still looking for more puck skill on defense.