Jack Drury has spent the past several days in the Bahamas enjoying a well-earned vacation with his family. Judging by the smiles in the photos circulating on social media, it’s safe to say life has been treating him well.
Now the former Colorado Avalanche forward has another reason to celebrate.
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Just days after being acquired by the Nashville Predators, the 26-year-old center has secured the biggest contract of his NHL career. Nashville has signed Drury to a five-year contract worth $22.5 million, keeping him with the organization through the 2030-31 season at an average annual value of $4.5 million.
The deal will pay Drury $4 million during the 2026-27 season before increasing to $4.625 million annually over each of the final four years. Beginning in 2027-28, he’ll receive full no-trade protection for two seasons before that converts to an eight-team no-trade list for the final two years of the agreement.
It’s another clear indication that new Predators general manager Chris MacFarland wasted little time investing in a player he knows well.
MacFarland acquired Drury from the Avalanche earlier this week in a deal that sent former first-round picks Zachary L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov to Colorado, along with Nashville receiving forward Chase Bradley and a third-round selection in the 2029 NHL Draft. The price reflected how highly MacFarland values Drury, having watched his development firsthand during his time with the Avalanche.
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While Drury has never been known as a prolific scorer, he quietly put together the best offensive season of his career in 2025-26. He established a new personal best with 10 goals while matching his career high with 27 points after adding 17 assists. More importantly, he appeared in all 82 regular-season games, giving Colorado dependable depth down the middle every night.
His value extended well beyond the scoresheet.
Drury developed into one of Colorado’s most reliable faceoff specialists, winning 58.1 percent of his draws during the regular season. That number climbed above 61 percent during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where he chipped in three goals and two assists across 13 postseason games.
Those are the types of details coaches and general managers notice, even if they don’t always generate headlines.
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MacFarland is clearly betting that there’s still more offense to unlock. Through parts of five NHL seasons split between the Carolina Hurricanes and Avalanche, Drury has totaled 30 goals and 52 assists for 82 points in 268 career games. Nashville believes those numbers are only part of the story.
Had the two sides not reached an agreement before free agency, Drury would have entered the offseason as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after finishing the final season of his contract with the Avalanche. Instead, Nashville wasted little time rewarding its newest acquisition with long-term security, underscoring just how strongly MacFarland believes Drury can become an important piece of the Predators’ future.
Even after committing $22.5 million to Drury, the Predators still have nearly $20 million in salary cap space to work with. That gives MacFarland plenty of flexibility as he continues putting his stamp on the roster during his first offseason as general manager.
If his track record in Colorado is any indication, MacFarland isn’t interested in making minor adjustments. He’s intent on building a team in his vision, and Nashville appears well-positioned to remain one of the NHL’s more aggressive clubs as it works toward reestablishing itself as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
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