Predators Secure Jack Drury with Five-Year, $22.5 Million Contract

The Nashville Predators made a significant move on Sunday night, signing forward Jack Drury to a five-year, $22.5 million contract just four days after acquiring him from the Colorado Avalanche. The 26-year-old forward enters his new chapter with the Predators following a season where he posted a career-high 10 goals and equaled his personal best with 27 points, playing all 82 games for the Avalanche.

Drury was brought into the fold on Wednesday, along with forward Chase Bradley and a third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft, in exchange for forwards Zachary L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov. Predators general manager and president of hockey operations Chris MacFarland praised Drury’s capabilities, stating, “Jack Drury is a hard-working, reliable, full-sheet of the ice center who can handle the tough assignments while being elite in the faceoff circle. His addition to our forward group bolsters our depth in the middle of the ice, and we’re thrilled to have him.”

In addition to his offensive contributions, Drury has established himself as one of the NHL’s premier faceoff specialists, winning 58.1% of his draws — the fifth-highest percentage among players who took at least 900 faceoffs last season. His playoff performance was also noteworthy, contributing three goals and two assists in 13 games, helping the Avalanche reach the Western Conference Final.

Drury comes from a hockey lineage; he is the son of former NHL center Ted Drury and the nephew of Chris Drury, the current general manager of the New York Rangers. Originally drafted in the second round by Carolina in 2018, Drury was acquired by Colorado in 2025 when MacFarland was the Avalanche’s GM. Over the course of 268 career regular-season games, he has tallied 30 goals and 52 assists while maintaining an impressive 57.1 faceoff percentage.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.