Jack Drury Scores $22.5 Million Deal Five Days After Predators Acquired Him

The Nashville Predators just handed a five-year, $22.5 million contract extension to Jack Drury, and the 26-year-old forward hasn’t even played a game for them yet.

Drury was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in a trade just days ago. Now he’s locked in through 2031 at a $4.5 million cap hit, according to Chris Johnston. The deal came together fast but there’s a logical thread here: the man making that call, Chris MacFarland, knows Drury well from his years running the Avalanche’s front office.

From Harvard to the NHL

Drury was taken 42nd overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2018 draft after playing at Harvard. He didn’t become a full-time NHLer until the 2023-24 season, when he finally cracked the Hurricanes’ lineup for good. Before that, he bounced between Carolina and the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, getting a two-game taste of the NHL in 2021-22.

His career took a turn at the 2025 trade deadline. That’s when Colorado scooped him up in a massive three-team deal involving the Chicago Blackhawks. The Avalanche sent Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall packing and brought back Drury, Martin Necas, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-rounder.

After the move, Drury put up five goals and four assists in 33 regular-season games, then added a goal and an assist in a first-round playoff loss to the Dallas Stars.

His first full season in Colorado was his best yet. Drury set career highs with 10 goals and 17 assists over 82 games. He tacked on three goals and two assists as the Avalanche pushed all the way to the Western Conference Final.

Through 268 NHL games, Drury has 30 goals and 52 assists for 82 points. Not flashy numbers, but the Predators are clearly betting on the trajectory rather than the résumé.

MacFarland took over as Nashville’s president of hockey operations and GM this offseason and hasn’t wasted time putting his stamp on the roster. Bringing in a player he drafted and developed in Colorado fits the pattern. Drury isn’t a star, but he’s a reliable middle-six center who kills penalties and doesn’t make many mistakes. That’s exactly the kind of piece teams overpay for on July 1. Nashville just got ahead of it.