It was announced on Monday that Nashville Predators General Manager Barry Trotz would retire from the position until a replacement was found. He was going to stay on as an advisor through the end of the 2026-27 season. Owner Bill Haslam stated the goal is to get a new General Manager in place before the draft in June.
But this is an interesting given that Trotz will stay on as the current GM to help transition everything to the new person. Not only is he in charge of the trade deadline, but he is also part of the search committee to help find his successor.
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The Predators allowed Barry Trotz to go out on his terms because of the respect they have for him, not only as a coach, but as a person. However, change was coming to Nashville whether people were ready for it or not. As Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported, there was a discussion in December between Trotz and majority owner Bill Haslam.
That was also when Nick Saban became a minority owner of the Nashville Predators. But as Friedman noted on 102.5 The Game, ESPN in Nashville, once Haslam understood how the hockey business worked, the two parties discussed the future.
One of the things I heard today, after the news got out, was that Bill Haslam had begun to look around at how the NHL works. How do things happen here? He’s done, to his credit, a lot of listening.
And I think that when Barry Trotz and Bill Haslam had kind of talked about the future whenever they met last month in December, and they talked about that today, I think they both talked about that. Haslam had kind of said, Okay, this is what I’ve learned about how things work. And again, you heard Trotz talk about his family today.
I think it sounds to me like it’s a lot about two guys who kind of look at the future. And Barry Trotz said, ” This is how I’m thinking, and Bill Haslam said, ” This is how I’m thinking. And I think they just said, You know what, the best possible thing is to start moving on this.
As Barry Trotz outlined in the press conference on Monday, he will remain on through the end of his contract. The Predators have to go in a different direction, and maybe the owner has a different vision for where he wants to take the standard within the organization. If the goal is to bring a Stanley Cup Championship to Nashville, then a different voice is needed.
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Even though Barry Trotz probably saw the writing on the wall, the decision to step down was ultimately his, given how much the organization knew he meant to them over the years. The first coach in franchise history. All-time winningest coach in franchise history. The respect the organization has for Barry Trotz.
“And I think Trotz probably knew that Haslam was going to look around and say, okay, like Bill Haslam had some ideas about what he could do to make the organization better,” Friedman said. “And Barry Trotz said, You know what, I’m not here long term, after next year.
And so, like part of me sees this as two people looking at the way they saw the world and saying, this is the best solution. And I believe this 1,000%, they wanted to do right by Trotz as a person. And I think that’s why we are where we are today.”
As previously mentioned, it is odd to see a GM stay on to help not only pick his successor, but also run the trade deadline. But it makes sense, given the situation the Edmonton Oilers were in when President/CEO Jeff Jackson ran free agency after Ken Holland was not renewed as GM heading into the 2024 NHL Free Agency period.
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And again, Trotz stepping down is a selfless act, and he will do what is best for the organization.
“I’ll say this, too: I think Bill Haslam is very comfortable with Trotz running the show while they look for a successor, because they feel Trotz will do what’s best for the organization, not what’s best for him,” Friedman added.
“Like you guys have all been around sports before. Sometimes, when people feel that they need to survive or they’re in trouble, they do things that may only benefit them. I think now that this is clear, and it’s all out in the open. Bill Haslam trusts Barry Trotz, so you don’t have to worry about your legacy here; you just have to do what’s right by the team.”
It will be interesting to see who the Nashville Predators hire next.
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