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BREAKING: Avalanche Trade Jack Drury to Predators for Fedor Svechkov, Zachary L'Heureux
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- BREAKING: Avalanche Trade Jack Drury to Predators for Fedor Svechkov, Zachary L'Heureux
The Colorado Avalanche have moved on from Jack Drury after contract extension talks repeatedly stalled during the regular season, trading the 25-year-old center to the Nashville Predators in a multi-piece deal on Wednesday.
Colorado sent Drury, forward Chase Bradley, and a third-round pick to Nashville in exchange for Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L'Heureux.
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The 23-year-old Svechkov arrives in Colorado after spending last season split between Nashville and AHL Milwaukee, where he played 70 NHL games and recorded 17 points (4 goals, 13 assists). While his offensive production didn't jump from his rookie season total, he showed steady usage in a bottom-six role and reached the 100-game NHL milestone in January.
The offensive upside behind Svechkov is a huge plus in this deal for Colorado. Credit: James Carey Lauder - Imagn Images
Originally a first-round pick (19th overall) by the Predators in 2021, Svechkov has 122 NHL games under his belt and 34 career points. He also brings significant AHL and international experience, including a productive run with Milwaukee and a strong playoff track record in the minors.
L'Heureux, also 23, adds a different dimension to Colorado's forward group as a hard-charging, physical winger. A 2021 first-round pick (27th overall), he split last season between Nashville and AHL Milwaukee, appearing in 25 NHL games while also producing 28 points in the minors. His style profile aligns with the type of "Mason Marchment"-type power winger The Hockey News has previously suggested the Avalanche target—an energetic, heavy game forward capable of disrupting play and shifting momentum.
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However, L'Heureux also carries a well-documented disciplinary history across multiple levels. During his time in the QMJHL, AHL, and NHL, he has been suspended on several occasions for on-ice infractions, including a 10-game ban for an incident involving contact with a fan during his junior career. While he acknowledged in 2023 that he needed to tighten up that aspect of his game, additional suspensions followed the next season. Most recently, L'Heureux was suspended three games in January 2025 for slew-footing Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon. In total, he has been suspended 12 times across his career and has missed 42 games as a result.
For the Avalanche, the move marks another adjustment to a forward group that has been in flux throughout the offseason. Drury, who played 115 games in Colorado after being acquired from Carolina in January 2025, put up 36 points in a bottom-six role but became a trade candidate after extension talks failed to progress.
Bradley, a college free-agent signing in 2024, appeared in two NHL games with the Avalanche and spent most of his time developing in the organization's pipeline.
Drury was an incredible depth player for the Avalanche, but his financial demands couldn't be met. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing - Imagn Images
Drury was acquired by Colorado in January 2025 and quickly settled into a depth role down the middle, providing reliable minutes in a bottom-six capacity. However, with extension negotiations failing to gain traction throughout the season, Colorado ultimately opted to move the pending asset rather than risk losing him for nothing in the future.
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Across 115 games with the Avalanche from 2024–26, Drury produced 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) and established himself as a reliable two-way center, posting a 57.7 percent faceoff win rate along with 82 blocked shots and 74 hits.
