Nashville Predators’ Chris MacFarland Worth the Hype – Hockey Writers – Nashville Predators

David Poile served as general manager of the Nashville Predators from the beginning until 2023, helping the team become a staple in Music City. When he took over from Poile, Barry Trotz had big shoes to fill, but he ended up resigning in 2026.

Fortunately for Nashville, an experienced Stanley Cup-winning general manager stepped up to the plate: Chris MacFarland of the Colorado Avalanche (won as an assistant in 2022). He’s only been in charge of the Predators for a month, but he’s already living up to the hype.

MacFarland’s Early Trades & Roster Construction

Perhaps MacFarland’s favorite pastime so far has found his older players. His first move was to add 29-year-old forward Ross Colton and American Hockey League (AHL) netminder Isak Posch from Colorado in exchange for Magnus Chrona and two third-round picks.

MacFarland’s second order of business was bringing in Jack Drury, a 26-year-old center, AHL depth forward Chase Bradley, and a 2029 third-round pick, as well as sending 23-year-old NHL depth forwards Zachary L’Heureux and Fyodor Svechkov. That third round was flipped to the Vancouver Canucks for Nils Höglander. Drury, on the other hand, was given a five-year extension worth $4.5 million per year.

The most notable of these moves, however, may have come on the first day of free agency. Nashville brought in Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque and cap-dump defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin for a second-round and third-round pick. Bourque will need to be extended, but that will happen soon.

These steps more or less share a common philosophy. For the most part, these are cheap, which could be a huge improvement for the average thumb. Drury had the best defensive results in Colorado and averaged second-line minutes at even strength, according to Evolving-Hockey. At 26 years old, he may have another gear—especially an offensive one.

Then, you have Höglander. Despite his limited minutes, his 2023-24 season was good statistically, but he couldn’t get back to that level. However, he is still young, and a new opportunity can lead to good things.

Colton may be short-term, as he’s 29 years old with one year left on his contract, but he’s been cheap to get and has been an impressive contributor in the past. With more ice time, he could certainly be a hot commodity on the trade market if the Predators plan to trade. He may pick up on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bourque’s movement is a fun one, and there’s really something wrong with it. He probably projects to be a solid middle-six center, but there were times when he played on the starting line in Dallas and really thrived. So, maybe this ends up being a home run. In any case, it’s hard to imagine a world where the Stars end up on top.

Nashville has flexibility

The good thing about this trade—and, so far, the quiet in free agency—is that the team can be flexible.

If the Predators have a bad start to the 2026-27 campaign or feel the need to trade some veterans, they can do so without completely stripping the roster. A core of Bourque, Drury, and Höglander, to a lesser extent, could give the other young guys enough talent to succeed.

This is kind of the anti-Chicago Blackhawks model. They stripped it down completely, which included Connor Bedard in 2023, but he didn’t have any quality teammates. With the pressure mounting, the team traded for monster tackle Bowen Byram. They then made him the highest paid defenseman in the league.

Nashville, on the other hand, has a talented NHL roster with some really good prospects. If the Predators want to improve on getting a top player in next year’s draft by trading up, that’s an option. If the plan doesn’t work out, that could lead to future competition, even if the addition of a Landon DuPont brand could do wonders for the organization.

Exploring Hope Lake for Predators

Speaking of Nashville prospects, let’s talk about them. Even without a bright star, you could argue that the Predators have a top-three-or maybe top-one-pool in the NHL.

Brady Martin, drafted last June, is the face of Nashville Lake. The 19-year-old center didn’t have impressive numbers this past season for the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Soo Greyhounds, with 34 points in 34 games overall. But his style of play is very visible. I’m sure he can be a predator for the Predators, even if the numbers are very small.

Another potential top six in the program is the latest 10^th-Overall pick, Wyatt Cullen. I think the No. 1 spot is 10 was fine for him, but he was my seventh-ranked prospect in the class of 2026 (and he was very close to sixth). Martin would be the perfect complement to the 17-year-old’s dynamic, puck-controlling style.

Next, there is Yegor Surin. He has blossomed since becoming a full-time champion in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), most recently recording 37 points in 57 regular season games as a 19-year-old. If all goes well, Surin could be in the top six.

To finish, we have the main players Ryker Lee and Teddy Stiga. The former was a hit for me in last year’s election. He had a strong freshman campaign at Michigan State University with 30 points in 35 games. On the other hand, Stiga only had 21 points in 31 games for Boston College this past season, but he could be a key player for the Predators one day.

Defensively, Nashville is also quite strong. Trading for 5-foot-11 linebacker Tommy Bleyl in this year’s draft could really pay off for MacFarland. Size can be a hindrance for some, but Bleyl is a terrific skater who can move the puck and has a high offensive ceiling.

Cameron Reid, taken 21^St overall in last year’s opening round, has a similar profile. Undersized, yes, but an elite skater with a better defensive game than Bleyl at the same age. These two may be second boys in the future.

Between the pipes, Jack Ivankovic had a great freshman season at the University of Michigan. With 25 wins, a .921 save percentage, and a 2.15 goals against average in 35 contests, he was a B1G Second Team All-Star.

When you combine this pool with some of the kids on the NHL roster, like Matthew Wood, the outlook for the future becomes even more encouraging. There is still work to be done, but few teams boast a crop of young players comparable to the Predators.

MacFarland didn’t cover everything here, but he did an impressive job in his short time. It’s possible the Predators have drafted a genius in Colorado.