The Nashville Predators didn’t just add Jack Drury this offseason - they committed to him in a major way.
Chris MacFarland, who knows Drury from their time together in Colorado, traded for him and then backed it up with a five-year contract less than a week later. That kind of move says plenty on its own.
MacFarland’s comments at the podium the day after the deal made the message even clearer: he believes in Drury. Not everyone around the league or among the fan base is sold, but the front office clearly is.
And the reasons are pretty straightforward. Drury is not the kind of center who lights up the scoreboard.
He has never scored more than 10 goals in a season, and offense has always been the part of his game that leaves people wanting more. But at 26, he still brings value in plenty of other areas, and that is why Nashville was willing to bet on him.
What the Predators are getting first and foremost is a stabilizing bottom-six center. That should be his role right away, and it may remain his role throughout his time in Nashville.
That’s not a slight. For a player built around detail, reliability, and defense, that is exactly the sort of job that can make him useful every night.
Drury’s defensive work is the headline. He finished 38th in Selke Trophy voting last year, and his underlying numbers were strong enough to back up the eye test. He is the kind of player who quietly tilts the ice by making life harder for everyone else.
He also brings real value in the faceoff circle, never finishing a season below 53.2% on draws. Add in his forechecking and his hockey sense, and it’s easy to see why Colorado valued him so much even in a limited role.
Nashville may actually give him a larger lane than Colorado ever could. In Denver, the Avalanche’s depth capped him at the third line. With the Predators, that same spot should be the floor rather than the ceiling, and he should have solid help around him.
Ross Colton is the most likely player to line up with him, and that familiar connection could matter. Colton and Drury played well together in Colorado, and that kind of chemistry is never a bad thing for a center.
On the other side, Jonathan Marchessault is the likely fit as long as he remains in Nashville. If it isn’t Marchessault, then Matthew Wood or Mavrik Bourque would be the more likely options, with one notable forward expected to be pushed out of the top six.
That setup gives Drury a chance to do more than simply hold his own. The combination of his age, his skill set, and a potentially expanded role creates a real opening for a career year in impact, even if the numbers never jump off the page. He doesn’t need to become a scoring threat to justify the move.
If he looks much like he has in recent seasons, Nashville will still have a player who makes the Predators tougher to play against. That matters even more at center, a spot where the Predators have been weak for years.
In Other News...
Ross Colton Could Fix A Predators Problem Down The Middle
The Predators have spent plenty of time looking for more stability down the middle, and Ross Colton gives them another option who fits the way Nashville likes to play. Acquired from the Avalanche by general manager Chris MacFarland, the 6-foot, 195-pound center comes with a reputation for handling the defensive side of the job first while still bringing enough offense to matter. He skated in 73 games last season and finished with 24 points, a line that suggests a player capable of helping in a responsible role without needing the spotlight.
For Nashville, the appeal is pretty clear: Colton could slide into a profile similar to Colton Sissons, taking on tough minutes and helping balance the lineup when the games tighten. The question now is whether he can keep that level of usefulness as he gets closer to 30, especially if the Predators are counting on him to be part of the solution at center rather than just another depth piece. [Read more 🡒]