Barry Trotz will become the General Manager of the Nashville Predators once longtime GM David Poile’s retirement becomes official on June 30. It is reported that Poile will remain with the franchise on a consulting basis, but Trotz will be the lead guy in his shift to the front office after 23 years as a head coach.
Trotz’s return to Nashville comes full circle as Poile made Trotz the franchise’s first-ever head coach before their inaugural 1998 season. Trotz remained in Nashville for 15 seasons, winning 557 games and taking the Predators to the postseason seven times. The Predators are set to miss the playoffs for the first time since Trotz left the organization.
Poile fired Trotz after the 2013-14 season who was quickly scooped up by the Washington Capitals, where he won the Stanley Cup in his fourth and final season with the club. He resigned as the Capitals’ head coach eleven days after hoisting the cup for compensatory reasons, quickly becoming the New York Islanders head coach soon after.
Trotz took the Islanders to the playoffs three straight years and was fired after failing to make it a fourth in the 2021-22 season. Trotz declined further head coaching opportunities, namely with his hometown Winnipeg Jets, to step away from the sport and focus on his home life.
Nashville is +250 to make the playoffs on the FanDuel Sportsbook with a 29-22-6 record, sitting fifth in the Central Division.
