Predators Hire Jamie Langenbrunner As Special Assistant To General Manager

This afternoon the Nashville Predators announced Jamie Langenbrunner as their Special Assistant to the General Manager. The 2000s New Jersey Devils standout forward had been serving as Assistant General Manager of the Boston Bruins since 2022, prior to departing last month in order to pursue new opportunities.

Set to join a revamped front office in the Music City, Langenbrunner, 50, will work alongside new general manager Chris MacFarland as well as Rob Blake, another notable former player who was named their new Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. It’s an impressive group, as Langenbrunner was a candidate mentioned for New Jersey’s previously vacant general manager position. Both he and Blake were worthy to garner at least some degree of thought across the various GM openings this off-season, such as Vancouver’s, or even Nashville’s itself, leaving the Predators with a highly qualified front office today.

Drafted by Dallas in 1993, the Minnesota native won a Stanley Cup in 1999 with his first franchise, then moving on to the New Jersey Devils at the height of their contention at the turn of the millennium. Hoisting the cup again in 2003 wearing the red and black, Langenbrunner stuck around in Newark for another seven years, until a short reunion with the Stars after a January 2011 trade. Catching on with St. Louis from there, he put the final touches on a 1,109 career as a Blue, dealing with injuries and hanging up his skates in 2014. A proud member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, Langenbrunner captained the 2010 American team which captured silver.

Upon the end of his career, the former winger soon caught on with the Bruins as a development coach in 2015, moving up to Director of Player Development four years later, and finally, up to Assistant General Manager in 2022. Nashville will become just the second NHL team he’s been involved with in management. In the new role, Langenbrunner will assist in professional and collegiate scouting, recruiting, as well as special assignments.

Langenbrunner and company face a crossroads which hasn’t changed much since the now-departed Barry Trotz took over for inaugural general manager David Poile. Nashville remains stuck in a tough place between embracing a hardcore rebuild, or continuing to try and recapture their magic from 2017-19 as a playoff contender before it’s too late for the likes of Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg. Many of Trotz’s moves caught the ire of fans, raising questions on his ability to manage a team after his long coaching career. Still, the former bench boss leaves the new regime with the deepest prospect pool they’ve likely ever had, along with a great asset in Ryan O’Reilly, still playing at a top level while signed by Trotz at just $4.5MM.

Ultimately, it’s hard to argue that the Predators have had about as much of an upgrade to their front office as realistically possible, and it presents a reset across multiple levels. MacFarland’s addition of Blake already spelled the end for Brian Poile after 16 years with the organization. Based on the latest news today there’s reason to speculate on Director of Scouting and Assistant General Manager Jeff Kealty, who has been with Nashville since 2001, along with Scott Nichol, also an Assistant General Manager who also manages the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. Langenbrunner must get to work quickly, as his Predators take the stage at 10th overall in Buffalo at the 2026 NHL Draft in just nine days.