The list of Colorado Predators is growing.
Or is it Nashville Avalanche?
Either way, Joe Sakic and Chris MacFarland continue to do business together. The Colorado Avalanche sent Jack Drury, Chase Bradley and a third-round pick in 2029 to the Nashville Predators on Wednesday for Zachary L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov.
Svechkov was also a first-round pick in 2021. Listed at 6-feet and 187 pounds, Svechkov had four goals and 17 points in 70 games for the Predators this past season. Both players are currently 23 years old and have spent time in the NHL in each of the past two seasons.
L’Heureux had four goals and an assist in 25 games for the Predators this past season. He was a first-round pick in 2021. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 197 pounds, he has a history of playing a physical brand of hockey — and also going beyond the boundaries of legality. He’s been suspended once in two years in the NHL, twice in the AHL, and nine times during his junior career in the QMJHL, for a total of 34 games.
He was once suspended for 10 games in the QMJHL for assaulting a fan with his stick. His NHL suspension came in January 2025 for slew-footing Minnesota defenseman Jared Spurgeon. L’Heureux missed some time early in this past season with injury and also played 30 games for the Milwaukee Admirals.
L’Heureux was the No. 27 pick in that draft — one spot before the Avalanche selected Oskar Olausson. Svechkov went six picks before L’Heureux. Both players mostly played in fourth-line roles for the Predators.
Both players have two years remaining on their current contracts. Svechkov’s cap hit for this coming season and next is $1.25 million. L’Heureux will cost $875,000 against the cap both years. Both players will still be restricted free agents at the end of these deals.
L’Heureux was 10th among Nashville forwards in average ice time per game (13:23) while Svechkov was 13th at 12:05. L’Heureux was a regular on the penalty kill when he was available this season, while Svechkov was not.
Drury, 26, is a restricted free agent in a week. He spent most of his time with the Avs as the No. 4 center. He was a favorite of coach Jared Bednar for his defensive work, but didn’t show enough offensive impact while playing in the middle of the third line to stick there.
The Avs had a little less than $7 million in cap space before this trade, and still need to sign somewhere between two and four defensemen to fill out that part of the depth chart. Given the contracts that fellow depth centers Michael McCarron and Jason Dickinson signed in recent days, it’s certainly plausible that Drury will sign with Nashville for more than what Colorado can afford to pay its No. 4 center — even if he is one of the very best in the league at that role.
This is the second trade between the two clubs since MacFarland left Denver to be the president and general manager of the Predators earlier this month. Sakic and the Avs also sent Ross Colton and minor-league goaltender Isak Posch to Nashville for a pair of third-round picks and former University of Denver goalie Magnus Chrona, who is a pending unrestricted free agent and has already signed a deal with a Swedish club for next season.
Now that the Avs have traded Colton and Drury to the Predators, there are two openings in the lineup up front. Svechkov and L’Heureux could fill those roles, though they would need to beat out Gavin Brindley, Taylor Makar and TJ Hughes.
Bradley, 24, signed with the Avs as a college free agent in July 2024 after three years at the University of Connecticut. He played two games for the Avs in 2024-25, but has mostly been a solid player for the Colorado Eagles in the AHL.
