The Nashville Predators made a move for a younger winger on Monday, landing Nils Höglander from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Entry Draft.
Höglander arrives in Nashville after a difficult season in Vancouver, where injuries and limited production slowed him down. The 25-year-old managed two goals and three assists in 38 games, and he missed more than half the year while dealing with a string of injuries.
He is set to begin the second season of a three-year, $9 million contract.
For Vancouver, the trade fits into a broader reset. The Canucks finished last in the NHL with just 25 wins this past season, and the organization has already made major changes.
Ryan Johnson has replaced Patrik Allvin as general manager, while franchise icons Daniel and Henrik Sedin have been added as co-presidents of hockey operations. Adam Foote lasted only one season as head coach before being replaced by Manny Malhotra.
Johnson said in a statement, “We would like to thank Nils for his time in Vancouver, and we wish him the best with his new team Nashville,” said Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson. “Picking up another draft pick is important for us as we continue to try and accumulate assets for our rebuild.”
Höglander’s time with the Canucks included some strong moments. Vancouver selected him in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft, and he flashed real scoring touch as a rookie in 2020-21 with 13 goals and 14 assists in 56 games.
The native of Bocktrask, Sweden reached a career-high 24 goals in 2023-24, but he couldn’t sustain that level. He finished his Canucks run with 60 goals and 60 assists in 331 games.
He also saw the postseason in Vancouver, appearing in 11 playoff games during the spring of 2024 and recording one goal and one assist.
The move sends Höglander to a Nashville team that finished sixth in the Central Division with 38 wins in 2025-26 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.
Vancouver also made another roster addition Monday, acquiring Brendan Gallagher from the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal is retaining 50 per cent of Gallagher’s $6.5 million cap hit in the final season of his deal, according to TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston.
Gallagher, 34, spent his entire 14-season career in Montreal and became one of the franchise’s most recognizable players thanks to the grit and energy he brought every night. The 5-foot-9 winger had seven goals and 23 points in 77 games this season, then added one goal in three playoff games before the Canadiens were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Final.
His ice time dropped to a career-low 12:21 this season, and on March 14 he was a healthy scratch for the first time since January of 2013, when he was a rookie.
Gallagher is entering the final season of his six-year, $39 million contract with a $6.5 million cap hit. Drafted 147th overall by Montreal in 2010, he has 246 goals and 487 points in 911 career games.
He scored 30 or more goals twice and set a career high with 54 points in 2017-18. Gallagher was part of Montreal’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021 and helped the club reach the Eastern Conference Final twice, in 2014 and 2026. He also represented Canada at the 2016 World Hockey Championship and won gold.
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Predators Just Made Another Forward Move Fans Will Want To See
Nashvilles front office keeps working the forward market, and the latest move adds another piece to a group that has already seen plenty of turnover. President of hockey operations MacFarland has been active in recent weeks, bringing in Ross Colton, Jack Drury and Adam Edstrom while also extending Drury, a clear sign the Predators are still shaping the roster around more than just one move at a time.
The newest addition comes with some term attached, too, which gives Nashville a little more than a rental-style look as it keeps sorting out its mix up front. The cost was a third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft, but the real question now is how this latest swing fits with the rest of the clubs plans, especially as the Predators continue to pile up changes and try to decide which pieces are part of the long view. [Read more 🡒]