Poile Addresses State of Predators Franchise as Offseason Arrives

Two Mondays ago, the Nashville Predators were left with an empty feeling.
So, as the sun came up the morning after they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, those in the Preds hockey operations department got back to work, just as every team does when they don't finish the season with the ultimate prize.
That's the scene that plays out across 31 of 32 organizations around the League at some point every spring, and over the past 10 days, the Predators have been searching for answers to the questions that arise after moments like this.
On Thursday morning, Preds General Manager David Poile and Head Coach John Hynes took their turn to address those items as they held their season-ending press conference, and the GM was direct from the beginning.

"Let me start by saying that I'd love to be crystal clear with everybody here in the room about our plan and our goal," Poile said. "We're here to build a team that can contend for, and ultimately win, the Stanley Cup. This year we made progress, but by no means are we satisfied… It's hard to win in this League. That's not an excuse, but it is a reality… We obviously didn't [reach our goal] this year. [Our] playoff series shows we still have a ways to go to reach our ultimate goal. And as of last Tuesday, our hockey ops group has begun the process of determining what we need to do and what we can do to get better and get closer to our goal. We took some steps forward this year, but by no means are we satisfied or happy with the results. We want more and our fans deserve more."
Poile went on to add that despite the ending, there was also plenty to appreciate from the 2021-22 campaign that saw the Preds achieve more than most thought they would. A Norris Trophy finalist in Roman Josi and a Vezina Trophy finalist in Juuse Saros are excellent starting points, but regular-season success doesn't always translate in the postseason, and that's the next hurdle for the current group to overcome.

"We continue to build on the winning culture that John [Hynes] and his staff have created, and that is centered around work ethic and team success, and that's the first step to getting to where we want to be," Poile said. "What I can say is that our team worked hard each and every night and gave everything they had. That is no longer a question, where perhaps in the past it may have been at times. The work ethic and culture can lead to regular-season success, but as we saw in the playoffs, that alone is not enough to win in the playoffs. We lost to a team that worked just as hard as us, but they also had superior talent and depth. Our task is now to build on that work ethic and improve our talent level. Regardless of my choice of words as to what we're doing, like a competitive rebuild, which I used last year, the reality is every NHL team is building and rebuilding each and every year."
Part of that process led to Poile announcing two-year extensions for Hynes and the rest of Nashville's coaching staff - including assistants Todd Richards, Dan Hinote and Dan Lambert - on Thursday, and the GM reiterated his belief that the bench boss remains the right person for the job, especially after the turnaround from a slew of Predators players over the past season.
"I believe John has done an excellent job for us taking over as head coach and leading us into the postseason each of the three years he has been here," Poile said. "[He's helped] some of our veteran players to play the best years that they've ever had while creating an environment where our younger players can grow and develop. Our coaches have helped us find an identity to play a hard-working style, and our power play improved to the best it has ever been. I believe John and his coaching staff are the right group to lead us back to contention, and I will do everything in my power to give him the necessary tools to accomplish that goal."
Poile also addressed the status of pending unrestricted free agent - and 42-goal scorer - Filip Forsberg and said the goal remains the same - to keep the winger in Nashville.
"I can't give you a full update on the status of the negotiations, but I can tell you that Fil has been a great player for us and that there is mutual interest in having him remain a Nashville Predator for the foreseeable future," Poile said. "And so, we are going to continue working to try to find the right deal that works for both sides. And we know that it can be a big piece of where we are trying to go.
"We have clearly conveyed that we want [Forsberg to stay] … but I realize that he's earned that right to become a free agent, and we're just going to have to work with that. Without getting into too much detail, I would hope that you would think and believe that we have a plan B, C, D if this was not to work, but for today, and for the next month or as long as it takes, we're going to concentrate on getting Filip signed."

Those efforts will be combined with the general offseason task of building on what Nashville was able to accomplish in the regular season before running into Colorado in the postseason - and while the Predators know there is plenty of room for improvement in that regard, they've also got quite a foundation, too.
So, as another offseason arrives earlier than they had hoped, Poile and his staff will get back to work in pursuit of the one thing that will one day make all the early mornings, long nights and difficult decisions worth it.
"We want to do better for everybody, for our fans, and our players wanted to be better, and I just thought this year was a really good stepping stone to the future, but it's not going to be easy," Poile said. "We found a way to be competitive, but we haven't found a way to get to the ultimate prize. So, I don't like the alternative [of a full rebuild] … Everybody's rebuilding all the time. It's my druthers to keep moving forward to try to get there this way rather than to have a complete rebuild. I don't think that's necessary.
"I'm so proud of this organization in terms of our growth, all the stuff that's happening here… It's hard to win. I'm sorry that we haven't won. I want to win so badly, but we're trying. We're making improvements, and I think we're on the right track."