Predators give newly acquired Mavrik Bourque six-year deal

The Nashville Predators signed center Mavrik Bourque to a six-year deal Saturday, three days after acquiring the restricted free agent from the Dallas Stars.

Bourque, 24, signed a contract worth $33 million. He will carry a $5.5 million salary cap hit through the 2031-32 season, after which he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. He made $950,000 on a one-year contract last season with Dallas.

Nashville sent their own 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-rounder from the Vegas Golden Knights, acquired earlier this year for forward Cole Smith, for the negotiating rights to Bourque and veteran defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, whose $3.25 million cap hit the Stars were eager to unload.

Bourque had 20 goals and 21 assists in 82 games during his second full NHL season, averaging 15:29 in ice time per game. Dallas general manager Jim Nill said that while the team would have loved to retain Bourque, whom they drafted 30th in 2020, he was “a casualty of the cap world” as a restricted free agent.

“You have to be cap compliant, and those decisions have to be made. He did a good job. His contract was coming up. He bet on himself last year,” Nill said. “Where his contract was going, it was something that we wouldn’t be able to fit in. You can’t fit everybody in. It’s just part of the business.”

Bourque is tied with Jonathan Marchessault for the third-highest cap hit among Nashville forwards.

Acquiring Bourque was the biggest swing thus far from new Predators general manager Chris MacFarland, who came over from the Colorado Avalanche to replace Barry Trotz.