Barry Trotz Is Returning To The Predators
Well, talk about a Sunday afternoon shocker. Former Capitals and Islanders head coach Barry Trotz is returning to where it all started. After close to a decade elsewhere, Trotz is going back to the Nashville Predators. The Stanley Cup Champion in 2018 started his career in Nashville and was the franchise’s only coach for it’s first sixteen seasons. However, Trotz will not be coaching. He is set to takeover for the Predator’s architect in David Poile. Elliotte Friedman has the details below:
Friedman also includes that Poile will hold a consultancy role within the organization after retiring from an impressive 26 years as General Manager and President of Hockey Operations. While it is an interesting transition from Trotz’s point of view, it will be happening in a very familiar environment. Personnel decisions are already starting to take shape in Nashville. Nino Niederreiter just got traded to Winnipeg. It’s not looking like a playoff year. It’s worth asking what future Trotz currently sees with the team. Should he blow it up and start with Juuse Saros? Does he buy in on this core? The answer to that is probably no.
They’ve got a lot of big contracts on their hands. Filip Forsberg, Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen, and Roman Josi make up a very big chunk of their cap sheet. Saros has two more years on his bridge deal after 2022-2023. What else could they sell on between now and the deadline? The Ryan McDonagh trade hasn’t exactly been a roaring success. Trotz’s first order of business will probably be deciding whether this team can win now or not.
Best of Luck Barry
Full disclosure, I will always love Barry Trotz as an Islanders fan. Honestly, I think this is a great fit after having a hiatus from the game for a few months. Furthermore, he will still be working with many old friends and colleagues in Nashville. After a hall-of-fame career behind the bench, we can now see how he does in the front office.
The future of Barry Trotz and the Predators have now been sorted. After speculation over the past few months, he is returning home. In all honesty, it might not be the easiest job. But truly, anyone who knows Trotz will know he’s gonna try.
