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Of the seven players general manager Chris MacFarland added to the Nashville Predators this summer, none are more important than Mavrik Bourque.
Acquired in a trade with the Dallas Stars on July 1 and signed to a six-year, $33 million deal on July 4, Bourque immediately enters the Predators' lineup as a top-six forward. Between him and Ryan O'Reilly, Nashville now has a formidable one-two punch at center, upgrading a position it has struggled with for some time.
The move also improves the long-term outlook for Nashville. At 24, Bourque should help bridge the current leadership core of O'Reilly, Filip Forsberg, Steven Stamkos and Roman Josi to the next generation of Predators, including Brady Martin, Egor Surin, Ryker Lee and Cam Reid.
"We've talked about adding an attractive age player that's a proven player in this league," MacFarland said on July 1. "We think (Bourque's) arrow is still pointing up."
Since the 2023-24 season, the first under coach Andrew Brunette, the Predators rank 25th in offense, scoring 2.93 goals per game. Meager production in five-on-five situations is the main culprit: Only 449 goals, 29th in the league.
Digging further, it's the Predators' work in the high-danger areas — shots from in and around the goal crease and in between the faceoff dots — that needs the most improvement. According to NHL Edge, the Predators were 19th in the NHL in high-danger goals (123) scored last season. Though that's an improvement from the year before, when they ranked 25th, most playoff teams excel in this area.
Bourque should improve Nashville's work in the high-danger area. He scored 14 high-danger goals last season, putting him in the 87th percentile among all scorers. He also helped his teammates score more high-danger goals — according to Natural Stat Trick, with Bourque on the ice, the Stars generated 12.38 high-danger chances per 60 minutes of play. Only O'Reilly, Stamkos and Luke Evangelista had a higher rate among Nashville forwards.
Attacking the middle of the ice isn't just about shooting ability. With shooters like Forsberg and Stamkos on the wing, you need someone to hold off defenders, protect the puck and open up those shooting lanes. Ryan Johansen, the Predators' top center for eight seasons (2016-23) excelled at this, using his size and reach to create space. Bourque doesn't have Johansen's size (he's 5-foot-11, Johansen is 6-3) so instead he uses speed, puck-handling and "hockey IQ" to evade defenders.
"If everything's going too fast, you can't really use (the puck). So I've been better at playing with speed and playing a faster game," Bourque told reporters on July 7. "I play with poise and like to slow down the play. Finding the small little areas where we can make a play and find the area where you can shoot the puck."
The arrival of Bourque also has a ripple effect on the roster. With the top two center spots occupied, other players slot in more age- and skill-appropriate roles. Matthew Wood can move down to the third-line center or play wing. Jack Drury and Ross Colton can play defensive minutes in the bottom six. Martin can go to AHL Milwaukee if he needs to. This gives Brunette more tools to work with as Nashville transitions back to being a playoff team.
WHERE DO PREDS RANK? Look at Central Division after GM Chris MacFarland's moves
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. He never uses artificial intelligence when developing or drafting stories. Contact Alex at [email protected]. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Mavrik Bourque will transform Predators' offense, improve long-term outlook
Continue reading...
Acquired in a trade with the Dallas Stars on July 1 and signed to a six-year, $33 million deal on July 4, Bourque immediately enters the Predators' lineup as a top-six forward. Between him and Ryan O'Reilly, Nashville now has a formidable one-two punch at center, upgrading a position it has struggled with for some time.
The move also improves the long-term outlook for Nashville. At 24, Bourque should help bridge the current leadership core of O'Reilly, Filip Forsberg, Steven Stamkos and Roman Josi to the next generation of Predators, including Brady Martin, Egor Surin, Ryker Lee and Cam Reid.
"We've talked about adding an attractive age player that's a proven player in this league," MacFarland said on July 1. "We think (Bourque's) arrow is still pointing up."
Why Mavrik Bourque will transform the Predators' offense
Since the 2023-24 season, the first under coach Andrew Brunette, the Predators rank 25th in offense, scoring 2.93 goals per game. Meager production in five-on-five situations is the main culprit: Only 449 goals, 29th in the league.
Digging further, it's the Predators' work in the high-danger areas — shots from in and around the goal crease and in between the faceoff dots — that needs the most improvement. According to NHL Edge, the Predators were 19th in the NHL in high-danger goals (123) scored last season. Though that's an improvement from the year before, when they ranked 25th, most playoff teams excel in this area.
Bourque should improve Nashville's work in the high-danger area. He scored 14 high-danger goals last season, putting him in the 87th percentile among all scorers. He also helped his teammates score more high-danger goals — according to Natural Stat Trick, with Bourque on the ice, the Stars generated 12.38 high-danger chances per 60 minutes of play. Only O'Reilly, Stamkos and Luke Evangelista had a higher rate among Nashville forwards.
MAVRIK FREAKING BOURQUE
First playoff goal of his career.#StanleyCup | #NHLpic.twitter.com/ex8tIF4J3w
— Victory+ (@victoryplustv) May 1, 2026
Attacking the middle of the ice isn't just about shooting ability. With shooters like Forsberg and Stamkos on the wing, you need someone to hold off defenders, protect the puck and open up those shooting lanes. Ryan Johansen, the Predators' top center for eight seasons (2016-23) excelled at this, using his size and reach to create space. Bourque doesn't have Johansen's size (he's 5-foot-11, Johansen is 6-3) so instead he uses speed, puck-handling and "hockey IQ" to evade defenders.
"If everything's going too fast, you can't really use (the puck). So I've been better at playing with speed and playing a faster game," Bourque told reporters on July 7. "I play with poise and like to slow down the play. Finding the small little areas where we can make a play and find the area where you can shoot the puck."
The arrival of Bourque also has a ripple effect on the roster. With the top two center spots occupied, other players slot in more age- and skill-appropriate roles. Matthew Wood can move down to the third-line center or play wing. Jack Drury and Ross Colton can play defensive minutes in the bottom six. Martin can go to AHL Milwaukee if he needs to. This gives Brunette more tools to work with as Nashville transitions back to being a playoff team.
WHERE DO PREDS RANK? Look at Central Division after GM Chris MacFarland's moves
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. He never uses artificial intelligence when developing or drafting stories. Contact Alex at [email protected]. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Mavrik Bourque will transform Predators' offense, improve long-term outlook
Continue reading...
