Trotz pushing right buttons in 1st season as Predators GM 

MANALAPAN, Fla. -- David Poile came to see the NHL general managers here this week, but he was just visiting.

For the first time since the Nashville Predators joined the NHL in 1998-99, he didn't represent them at the GMs annual three-day March meeting. That job now belongs to Barry Trotz, who succeeded him as GM on July 1.

The transition has been smooth.

So much has changed in Nashville over the past year, from the GM to the coach to the roster. But the Predators, who missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season for the first time since 2013-14, hold the first wild card in the Western Conference.

They are 13-0-2 in their past 15 games and can set a team record for a point streak against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+).

"I thought we could have a rough season," Trotz said. "It could be not a real strong team. Or we could be sneaky good."

Poile was the only GM the Predators had ever known.

Trotz was the only coach they'd ever known until he was fired April 14, 2014, and went on to coach the Washington Capitals from 2014-18 and New York Islanders from 2019-22, winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.

Nashville announced Feb. 26, 2023, that Poile would retire as GM June 30 and Trotz would take over July 1, with Poile remaining a senior advisor. That allowed Poile to mentor Trotz, who had never been a GM before, and Trotz to help set the course before grabbing the wheel.

"That worked fabulous for him," Poile said. "He got his feet wet and got to know all the staff and the scouts. For myself, it was a really good way of kind of letting go. It was a great way of passing the torch."

The Predators parted with defenseman Mattias Ekholm and forwards Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter and Tanner Jeannot before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline.

They fired coach John Hynes on May 30 and replaced him with Andrew Brunette on May 31. For a photo op at his introductory press conference, Brunette stood between Poile and Trotz, holding up a jersey with Trotz.

Nashville traded forward Ryan Johansen on June 24 and bought out forward Matt Duchene on June 30, then signed defenseman Luke Schenn and forwards Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O'Reilly on July 1.

It took time for everything to click, with Brunette introducing a faster, more aggressive style to an overhauled roster. The Predators started 5-10-0. Then they went on a 13-3-0 run. Then they went 9-12-2 over their next 23 games.

As of Feb. 15, they were 27-25-2, four points behind the St. Louis Blues, who held the second wild card in the West. The 2024 NHL Trade Deadline was March 8.

"The trade deadline was very difficult for me," Trotz said. "I had to balance a couple things. Going into it, probably a month before, I was making all the calls to all the general managers here, saying, 'Hey, I'm probably going to be a seller. It doesn't look like we're going to make it, so here's some of my options, and if you're interested in any of these …'

"And then as we got to the trade deadline, I said to the players, 'Show me, and I'll add.' And then they did."

The Predators acquired forward Anthony Beauvillier on March 7 and forward Jason Zucker on March 8. Beauvillier had 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) in 41 playoff games for Trotz from 2020-21, when the Islanders advanced to the third round twice.

"I know he can produce in the playoffs," Trotz said. "Zucker has got a little sandpaper to his skill, and I think that fits our identity pretty good. I feel like they're good adds to our group."

The big concern entering the season was offense, but the Predators are tied for 11th in the NHL in goals per game (3.26) with the Panthers and New Jersey Devils. They're tied for 12th in goals against per game (2.99) with the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche.

Trotz raves about the leaders -- Nyquist, O'Reilly, forward Filip Forsberg, defenseman Ryan McDonagh and goalie Juuse Saros -- but saves special praise for Roman Josi, who is third among NHL defensemen with 70 points (18 goals, 52 assists) in 69 games.

"I don't think there is a better defenseman on the planet -- and that's this year, right now -- than Roman Josi," Trotz said. "That's saying a lot, because there's some terrific defensemen. But for our team, he's just carried us all year. It shows in his stats night in and night out."

The best part? The Predators feel they have good young players on the way, and their future is bright.

Poile touched base with Trotz here this week, and they can call each other at any time. But Poile said after being around a little bit early in the season, he wasn't around at all in January and February.

"We talked more (early on), and as we go along, it's a little bit less," Poile said. "And I think that's the way it should be."