The Fourth Period: David Pagnotta when asked if the Nashville Predators and GM Barry Trotz are in panic mode after their rough start to the season.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Kate Pettersen: “And the Preds, rough start to the season. But despite being , they’re just four points back of a playoff spot. So Dave, I want to ask you on this one.
Is panic setting in just yet? Is it too early, and is Barry Trotz looking around the league to try to make a move?”
Pagnotta: “You know Kate, I think, as the coach and some of the players admitted last night after the game, frustration has set in. But certainly doesn’t sound like there’s been any panic from up top just yet.
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You know, Barry Trotz is certainly going to be doing his due diligence and looking around to see what may be available down the road. But right now, as you mentioned, four points out of a playoff spot despite their rough start to the new season, I don’t really get the sense that they’re looking or itching to make an impact type of move or a panic type of move just now.
Again, doing your due diligence guys, looking to see what’s available and what might be out there. And I think down the road, they may have to address their 2C position. I haven’t really seen anybody, whether it’s Novak or the young Finn, step in here. They haven’t really seen somebody take the reins just yet in the first month of the season.
So that may be something that they address down the road. But Kate, right now, no panic yet. There’s, they’re not completely out of this one, and they feel that eventually they can get rolling here with more consistency and games played.”
Pettersen: “And you’ve got lots of veterans in that room now. They’ve got seven of their next eight on the road, and I feel like that could be a good thing. Get out of Nashville, have those veterans step in and really try to, you know, get the team together and figure out what they need to do.
Pagnotta: “Right, right, exactly. And sometimes, you know, that long road trip, some teams, you know, started on the road, they get that little unity, kind of together, everybody’s on the same track right out of the gates.
And, you know, sometimes it happens a little bit later. This might not be a bad thing for the Nashville Predators to kind of collectively get together away from home and get their acts together. Because, you know, you can’t dig yourself too big of a hole too early. It’s harder to climb out of.”
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Pettersen: “Yeah, well, we saw the Oilers climb out of a big hole last year. So it can be done.”
