Greg Wyszynski
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- Greg Wyszynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.
Several authors
The Nashville Predators signed center Mavrik Bourque to a six-year contract on Saturday, three days after acquiring the restricted free agent from the Dallas Stars.
Bourque, 24, signed a contract worth $33 million. He will have a $5.5 million salary cap hit through the 2031-32 season before becoming an unrestricted free agent. He earned $950,000 last season on a one-year contract with Dallas.
Nashville sent its 2027 second-round draft pick and 2028 third-round draft pick 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 seeking to trade.
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In his second full NHL season, Bourque scored 20 goals and 21 assists in 82 games, averaging 15:29 ice time per game. Dallas general manager Jim Nill said that while the team would like to keep Bourque, who they selected 30th overall in 2020, he became a “victim of the cap world” as a restricted free agent.
“You have to respect the limit and those decisions have to be made. He did a good job. His contract was approaching. Last year he bet on himself,” Neill said. “We couldn’t fit into his contract. It’s impossible to fit everyone in. It’s just part of the business.”
Bourque is tied with Jonathan Marchessault for third in scoring among Nashville forwards.
The acquisition of Bourque was the biggest move to date by new Predators general manager Chris McFarland, who came from the Colorado Avalanche to replace Barry Trotz.