Barry Trotz’s GM Tenure Falls Flat in Nashville

In his first season as GM, it looked to be a stellar move. The Predators finished 4th in the Central Division. This clinched the top wild-card spot in the West and a first-round matchup with the Pacific Division champion Vancouver Canucks. That series marked the beginning of the Predators’ downturn. 

While Nashville did push the series to six games, it was clear that scoring was an issue. They only scored over two goals in two games in the series. One of which was an overtime loss. With the recent playoff performance in mind, Trotz took to free agency looking to address the goal-scoring issue. 

2024 Free Agency

The 2024 free agent class for Nashville was the biggest failure of recent memory. The Predators made three major signings for their team: Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. All three signings have shown that their offensive skills were needed to increase goal production.

Stamkos, the longtime Lightning captain, was coming off a 40-goal season. Marchessault eclipsed the 40-goal mark for the first time in his career. And the added boost from the backend would come from Skjei, who had a 47-point season in Carolina. 

The message was clear. Nashville was all in to go past the first round in the postseason. They brought in veteran offensive talent to help franchise cornerstones Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg lighten the burden. 

The Disappointment of 24-25

Now, with all the hype of a promising first year with Trotz as the GM and an offseason of big-name signings, expectations were high.

After being pinned as a potential divisional winner, the Predators went on to finish as the third-worst team in the NHL. Nashville finished with a record of 30-44-8. It was the franchise’s worst 82-game record since its inaugural season in 1998–99.

For a team that was looking for more offense, they ended up scoring 55 fewer goals than the previous season. Now the Predators are left with three contracts for players past their prime that consume over 20 million in cap space, accounting for 23% of the team’s cap. 

Trotz’s Shortcoming

While the hockey world will look at the failure of the 24-25 season in Nashville and blame Trotz, he did the right thing.

The team needed more scoring. Thus, he brought in two 40+ goal scorers. He saw a weakness and filled the hole with players who have a proven track record for finding the back of the net. 

The issue has been the contracts he’s given those players. Trotz has signed five players to deals north of the five-million-dollar mark. Each has faced its share of scrutiny. Just from the 2024 class alone, both Stamkos and Marchessault are now 35 years old and have 2+ years left on their current deals. Skjei’s $7 million cap hit hasn’t matched his 0.36 points-per-game production.

2025 Moves

Trotz’s big move of the most recent offseason was the acquisition of Nicolas Hague. In a trade with Vegas that saw Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon go the other way, it appeared to be a lateral depth move for an unsigned Hague. Trotz then signed Hague to a five-year contract worth $5.5 million per year. 

It was a big contract to give to a player, clearly being asked to step into a role he has yet to play. While Hague has dealt with injury issues lately, the team’s defense has been lackluster.

The Predators went from scoring struggles in 24–25 to defensive breakdowns in 25–26. It’s another year with Trotz looking like a potential scapegoat. 

The biggest contract the Predators GM has handed out to date has been to his goaltender, Juuse Saros. After three straight seasons in which he finished in the top five in Vezina voting for the league’s top goaltender, Saros has failed to live up to the terms of his extension.

Saros’s save percentage has drifted below 90% the last two seasons, as well as a goals against average that has risen to 3.2 this season. The Predators pay Saros like a top-ten goalie, and he must find a way to play like one again.

Where Do the Preds Go from Here?

As the NHL heads into the Olympic break, Nashville once again finds itself outside the playoff picture. Now, many question the possible direction for the Preds. An aging core and bad contracts leave them far from Stanley Cup contention.

Regardless of the team’s current state, not everything is looking bleak in Nashville. Daily Faceoff currently ranks the Predators with the 12th-best prospect pool in the NHL. After having three first-round picks in the 2025 draft, the Predators should look to add even more young talent to their franchise at the upcoming trade deadline.

It’s time to start moving players from the current core to improve their chances in the draft lottery. Even with the depth of their prospect pool, Nashville lacks a true potential star.

In a year with multiple potential franchise cornerstones in the draft, it seems to be the right move to find as many ways as possible to get in the lottery.  

With Barry Trotz stepping down, the reflection of his time as GM comes down to one thing: underachieving. High expectations surrounded Trotz and the Predators, but neither met them. Now the next GM will have tough decisions to make about the team’s future direction. 

Time will tell whether the Nashville Predators cut their losses or try to stick with Trotz’s vision.