Do Trotz’s Predators Even Have A Plan to be Successful

The Nashville Predators are an enigma. The team went all in with several big acquisitions in the offseason by adding Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. But by bringing in the high priced free agents as they did, GM Barry Trotz changed the identity of who the Nashville Predators were. 

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The Predators have always been a hard-working team with only a handful of superstars. Those players included Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, and Juuse Saros. Nashville needed a 17-game point streak after a canceled U-2 Concert at the Sphere in Vegas to propel them to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This gave Barry Trotz hope that the Predators only needed a few more pieces. 

However, Trotz failed to address the team’s most significant need—strength down the middle. Adding two 40-goal scorers is great, but without a legitimate first- or second-line center to feed them the puck, it creates a glaring problem.

Trotz Has Made Several Curious Moves

Looking back at Trotz’s brief tenure as Nashville’s general manager, some of his moves have raised eyebrows. He’s made it clear he’s intent on moving out David Poile’s players and bringing in his own.

Take his first offseason as GM in 2023, for example. Trotz bought out Matt Duchene and traded Ryan Johansen, moves that came with significant financial consequences. The Duchene buyout costs the Predators $5.56 million against the cap this season and $6.56 million next season. On top of that, the team retained $4 million of Johansen’s contract, leaving them in a tight cap situation.

While the Predators managed to make the playoffs, it seemed likely Trotz would continue reshaping the roster in the offseason. Many believed further turnover was coming. However, extensions for Juuse Saros and Alexandre Carrier suggested the Predators might stick with their core group.

Trotz Pushed All the Predators’ Chips In

Now, with the addition of high-priced free agents, Nashville’s window to win feels smaller than ever.

From the way Trotz was talking in the offseason, he wanted to bring a championship to Nashville within the next two to three years. The talent he brought into Nashville were guys who know what it takes to win. However, some were puzzled by the decision to trade Yaroslav Askarov to San Jose because he was the goalie of the future. 

But there was no way he would play when the team also signed Scott Wedgewood. Wedgewood is now in Colorado, and Justus Annunen is Saros’ backup. And with the Predators getting off to a slow start, Trotz made moves that he could have done last season by moving on from Dante Fabbro, Cody Glass, Philip Tomasino, and Carrier.

Clearing cap space is something every team wants to do. However, many are questioning whether Trotz was in over his head. He moved on from several draft picks that were not being used the right way. He moved on from a player in Carrier, whom teams were calling about at last year’s trade deadline. 

There is a belief that Trotz could get exposed when he tries to make a bigger deal to reshape and retool the roster further. From the looks of things, he is in over his head with no oversight down in Nashville. And while the team is starting to play better, being honest at the beginning of the season might have backfired on him. 

Trotz talked about tearing it down and rebuilding if the team didn’t play well. Now maybe he should not have used the rebuild word. Instead, he should have used the retool word. But he is determined to keep the Predators a competitive team in a tough Central Division. 

What Will Trotz Do This Summer?

The Nashville Predators, under Barry Trotz, played fantasy hockey in the summer. But it appears he could be doing that again this summer as well, and maybe sooner. There was talk of a Dylan Cozens trade, but the holiday trade freeze came. That does not mean he will not explore it moving forward into January and beyond. 

However, you have to wonder what is the plan in Nashville? What was the strategy from the start? Did the Nashville Predators really have a short window to win? And if they did, why make those moves to begin with? 

Again there is a lot of hockey left, but not every team can be the Florida Panthers and St. Louis Blues. Those are rare exceptions. It is hard to go from last place to the playoffs and beyond. So, what really was the strategy the Nashville Predators employed in the offseason? Because from the looks of it there was no plan at all. 

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