Chris MacFarland completes 5-piece trade with his Former team as Avalanche and Predators do business
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Daniel Lucente
Jun 24, 2026 (5:21 PM)
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Photo credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Chris MacFarland has been Nashville's general manager for exactly three weeks. His first major move targets the organization he just left behind.
The Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche have agreed to a trade sending center Jack Drury and prospect Chase Bradley to Nashville along with a 2029 third-round pick, in exchange for Zachary L'Heureux and Fedor Svechkov.
MacFarland officially became Nashville's general manager on June 2, 2026, replacing Barry Trotz.
Before that, he spent years overseeing Colorado's hockey operations.
He knew exactly why Drury rejected a contract extension near the trade deadline. He watched Bradley's five-goal, five-assist playoff run happen in real time.
This isn't a trade MacFarland stumbled into. He built it using information no other general manager at the negotiating table had.
What Colorado is surrendering at the worst possible time
Drury, 26, posted 27 points and 10 goals across his first full season with the Avalanche. He turned down an extension offer near the deadline, quietly alarming the organization.
Colorado now faces a razor-thin cap summer and the real threat of an arbitration filing just to retain a fourth-line center.
Bradley, meanwhile, erupted for five goals and five assists in 17 playoff games - among the best depth performances of the Avs' postseason run.
Joe Sakic is parting with two forwards who just showed their value at the same time he needs them most.
Nashville gets a center, not just a prospect
The Predators under head coach Andrew Brunette are building a two-way middle-six core. Drury slots directly into that identity.
At 26, he is ready to contribute from opening night. Svechkov, fresh off a two-year bridge deal signed in March, and L'Heureux are both younger and less proven at the NHL level.
Nashville traded upside for certainty. With 12 picks heading into the 2026 NHL Draft, the Predators were not short on futures.
They needed an NHL center. MacFarland knew exactly where to find one.
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