Nils Hoglander was traded to the Nashville Predators by the Vancouver Canucks on Monday for a third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft.
The 25-year-old forward has two seasons left on a three-year, $9 million contract ($3 million average annual value) he signed with the Canucks on Oct. 6, 2024.
“We are excited to add Nils Hoglander to our mix,” Predators president of hockey operations and general manager Chris MacFarland said. “He is a 25-year-old experienced winger who is known for his relentless, high-energy style of play, bringing a consistent motor to the lineup night after night. We believe the player can come in and have a key role.”
Hoglander had five points (two goals, three assists) in 38 games this season. He did not play until Dec. 8 after having surgery for a lower-body injury sustained during a 3-1 preseason win against the Calgary Flames on Sept. 24, 2025.
Selected by Vancouver in the second round (No. 40) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Hoglander has 120 points (60 goals, 60 assists) in 331 regular-season games and two points (one goal, one assist) in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He set NHL career highs in goals (24) and points (36) in 2023-24 to help the Canucks win the Pacific Division (50-23-9).
The Canucks on Monday also acquired forward Brendan Gallagher in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens for future considerations. They finished last in the NHL this season (25-49-8), hired Manny Malhotra to replace Adam Foote as coach June 1 and selected his son, forward Caleb Malhotra, with the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Ryan Johnson was hired as GM as part of a regime change that also saw Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin become co-presidents of hockey operations.
The Predators (38-34-10) have been active ahead of the opening of free agency Wednesday after they finished four points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second wild card in the Western Conference. They acquired Jack Drury in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche on June 24 and signed the forward to a five-year, $22.5 million contract ($4.5 million AAV) four days later. Forward Ross Colton was traded to Nashville by Colorado on June 16, the Predators’ first significant move since hiring MacFarland from the Avalanche on June 2. Forward Adam Edstrom was sent to the Predators by the New York Rangers on June 27.
