NASHVILLE — The Nashville Predators hired longtime NHL player and former Boston Bruins executive Jamie Langenbrunner as a special assistant to new general manager Chris MacFarland on Wednesday.
Langenbrunner, who scored 243 goals with the Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues during an 18-year career that included a pair of Stanley Cup championships, will focus on professional scouting, collegiate free-agent scouting and recruiting, and special assignments with the Predators.
The 50-year-old Langebrunner spent more than a decade with the Bruins after retiring in 2013. He worked in various capacities in Boston, including stints as a development coach and director of player development before becoming assistant general manager in 2022.
A member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Langenbrunner won NHL titles as a player with Dallas in 1999 and New Jersey in 2003. He also served as captain of the U.S. Olympic hockey team that won the silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
It continued an active first week of the offseason for the Predators.
A day earlier, MacFarland struck a deal with his former team in trading for Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton.
MacFarland, who recently left his role as Avalanche GM to become the president of hockey operations in addition to GM of the Predators, acquired the veteran center along with goaltender Isak Posch. Colorado receives goalie Magnus Chrona and a pair of third-round draft picks, one each this year and next.
“We are very excited to add Ross Colton to our forward mix,” MacFarland said in a team release. “Ross is a versatile, two-way winger who will add sandpaper and grit into our middle six group.”
Colton is coming off a season with Colorado in which he had nine goals and 15 assists over 73 games and was third on the team with 159 hits. The Avalanche, who won the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s top team in the regular season, made it to the Western Conference title series before being swept by the Vegas Golden Knights, who then lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final that went six games and wrapped up Sunday night.
It was MacFarland who helped orchestrate the trade that brought the 29-year-old Colton to Colorado on June 28, 2023, through a deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Soon after, Colton was signed to a four-year contract.
The trade gives more draft capital to Colorado’s Joe Sakic, who’s stepping back into the role of GM in the wake of MacFarland’s departure. Sakic, who’s also the president of hockey operations for the franchise in Denver, was in that position when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Chrona joins a team that features a goaltending tandem of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood. The pair won the William M. Jennings Trophy, which went to the goalies who played at least 25 games for the team that allowed the least amount of goals in the regular season.
Last season, the 25-year-old Chrona was 9-11-3 with a 2.94 goals-against average for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League. Chrona remains familiar with the area having suited up at the University of Denver from 2019-23. He was part of the Pioneers when they won the national championship in 2021-22.
Posch spent time with the Colorado Eagles in each of the past two seasons. The Sweden native was named to the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic for the Pacific Division.
“He is a big goalie who will add to our already impressive depth at this position,” MacFarland said.