​One of the chief analytics experts in the NHL media community had high praise for a team that many aren’t sure about heading into next season. Dom Luszczyszyn, writer and analyst for The Athletic, published his models’ findings on Thursday. The model had high praise for the Nashville Predators, particularly the trade for former Dallas forward Mavrik Bourque.At the direction of new GM Chris MacFarland, the Nashville Predators have been aggressive. They’ve added a unique blend of rising stars, former Avalanche depth pieces and analytical darlings. Luszczyszyn’s model ranked Nashville as having added the most value of any NHL team so far this summer.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNashville added five forwards, most of whom will play further down the lineup. The Predators’ prized addition was thanks in part to MacFarland’s savvy reading of the market. They traded two non-premium draft picks (their 2nd in 2027 and Vegas’s 3rd in 2028) to acquire forward Mavrik Bourque from Dallas. The Stars traded Bourque —likely below market value — because of a variety of factors. Philadelphia had been threatening an offer sheet, according to reporting by Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. The Stars also attached overpriced defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to the deal with Nashville, as they continued to navigate ways to retain superstar restricted free agent winger Jason Robertson.All in all, it was definitely tidy business by MacFarland. He cheaply poached a good, young player with top-six upside from a vulnerable division rival. He did that by weaponizing his cap space. Lyubushkin has one year remaining at $3.25 million. That’s not a massive amount in this new cap environment, but it mattered in Dallas. They’re trying to navigate tricky salary cap waters, and Nashville lent them a helping hand at a price that benefited the Predators.Chris MacFarland executed one of the most consequential trades of the salary cap era, dealing superstar Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen to Carolina before the 2025 trade deadline. Colorado has not always been praised for that move, but it acquired a similar regular-season producer in Martin Necas, draft capital and depth down the middle in the form of center Jack Drury in hopes of making the team more complete down the lineup.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTwo seasons later, Drury is a Nashville Predator. MacFarland traded for Drury, a restricted free agent center who can also play on the wing. Drury is a defense-first forward who matched his career high of 27 points this season. More importantly, he grades out as a top defensive matchup forward. He’s also one of the league’s best face-off takers, winning more than 57 percent in his career.He also added another former Avalanche depth forward in Ross Colton. He’s a winger who can play down the middle, chip in depth scoring and has significant playoff experience. Colton won a Stanley Cup in Tampa Bay in 2021. For only one year, he’s a low-risk