Nashville Predators Talk - 2024/2025 Season II

[Porter Stoutheart]

That interview is depressing. The culture starts from the top. If he wants to establish a winning culture, he needs to demand that from himself, his coaches, and on down to his players. But it's obvious he doesn't know what he's doing and is happy to be a passenger and let someone else install a winning culture.

And what is this winning culture bs anyway? Scoreboard! He's built a losing culture. A culture in which his top culture piece, with his make-believe NMC, literally says, "Well, no one is happy."

Actually, it's borderline delusional. Trotz is up in his box, eating his hot dog, and reading those cartoon clouds above his players' heads to see if they "really want to win." His "culture" focus is spillover coach speak on who's putting together a few good shifts in a row and if the guys get along in the locker room. Let's keep chopping wood boys! What are your feelings? How are those advanced stats trending? A slight uptick in a few of them the last 3 games? Great. He's doing that instead of his job which is doing GM sh1t, like assembling a balanced roster, trying to move out deadwood contracts, get his younger guys on the ice to give them proper evaluations so he can make proper decisions about contracts/trades/drafting, evaluating whether his coaches are actually winning coaches and make players better and help them reach their potential. All that hockey ops stuff beyond filling out the lineup card before a game.

Basically, he's resting on the laurels of... a bunch of players who are resting on their laurels. When he talks about this serial winners BS, the thing is that was years ago for all of them. If they are 30th in the league, guess what, streak is over. They are losers now. So stop leaning on that crutch and try something new.

 

[BigFatCat999]

Has your trade happen yet? No. good night.

 

[Top 6 Spaling]

So who demands a trade first?

 

[hockey diva]

O'Reilly or Marchy.

 

[Kat Predator]

Marchessault had that 1000-yard stare sitting on the bench as everyone else was leaving. I think he'll be requesting a trade if he hasn't already.

 

[Thundr70]

I have been watching and cheering the Predators since 2005 and this organization from top to bottom is discombobulated in every aspect of the game. Nothing can be done to save a NHL team that plays and acts like their not an acutal a NHL team and thats what the Predators are doing in front our very eyes.

 

[Armourboy]

Usually in the past when we had bad years it was because of an owner sale or because of a bunch of injuries, this is the first year I can remember that we stink because we just stink. Yeah we have injuries, but we stunk before the injuries.

Frankly this is an organization that needs to be completely scrapped from the top management to the players. I have no faith that any of them know what the heck they are doing.

 

[herzausstein]

Trade all the country club for all i care. Everyone of them look like theyre trying to be passengers

 

[Legionnaire11]

There's no way Brunette can be coaching this team next season right?

It's a tough spot right now, keep him around to preserve the tank, or cut him lose to minimize the damage he's doing to the psyche of the roster?

 

[herzausstein]

There's no way Brunette can be coaching this team next season right?

It's a tough spot right now, keep him around to preserve the tank, or cut him lose to minimize the damage he's doing to the psyche of the roster?

I feel like the "leaders" and vets have already packed it in and are mentally golfing. Trotz just needs to insulate the young in MIL and let Bruno cook

 

[nine_inch_fang]

Trotz and Brunette might be oblivious to reality but the players are not.

They're sick of hearing their idiot coach talk. They were sick of it by the end of October. Now, they're just keeping their mouths shut and riding out the toxic relationship to what they assume will be the end in April. And, I don't blame them a bit, Trotz has left them floundering in a situation to fail with a shitty coach and pissed away any young talent that was around them.

When this team was created I was ecstatic and always wanted season tickets but with a young family, could never justify the expense. As life moved along and there was more disposable income I got the season tickets and have had some great times at the arena!

My renewal is up this year and I've decided not to renew. Trotz has broken my will to pay money for Preds tickets. His continued incompetence is not something I can contribute to. It's a sad day.

 

[101st_fan]

For all of the lipservice by Trotz, April is the next window for action ... either right before or right after the end of the season. If Bruno survives until May then we likely head into camp with him.

 

[hockey diva]

I let my rep know I wanted to go down to a 1/2 season next season. I need the social interaction and I still enjoy watching good players/teams. I also suspect corporate suites will be hard sell at this point. The whole organization needs a reboot, just hope Haslam sees what we are seeing.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I feel like the "leaders" and vets have already packed it in and are mentally golfing. Trotz just needs to insulate the young in MIL and let Bruno cook

I agree with this. Focus needs to shift onto putting our future into a positive situation in Milwaukee with Taylor as their coach and a potential deep Calder Cup run. AHL Clear Day is coming up soon, and we should make it a priority to stack the deck for the Admirals to make a deep run in the AHL playoffs, and for our young players to maximize their development in that more positive environment.

So yes, keep Stastney in Milwaukee. Although heaven knows, he's better than half of our current roster D. Send Svechkov back. Send L'Heureux back when he gets healthy. Evangelista only has a handful of NHL games left before his waiver exemption expires... send him back too before that happens. I mean it, go "all in" on stacking Milwaukee. Claim whatever random dudes you need to fill Preds lineup slots on waivers like Englund. Don't pull guys from the Ads. Even send Bellows back too.

 

[Top 6 Spaling]

I like the idea of leaving our promising young guys in Milwaukee, clearing 3-5 roster spots by trading the country club, and bringing in guys in the Tomasino/Glass/Tolvanen/Fabbro vein via trade/waivers for a "show us what you've got" stint. Hopefully we can find a useful piece or two.

 

[weeze]

I think GMBT is in over his head. He was a good coach, sure 1 SC win but not a great coach. And just because he was a good coach he thought he could be a GM. He is beloved here in Nashville because he was our 1st coach and was well liked. But this experiment in him being a GM has exploded, crashed and burned down terribly. From the trades, waivers, buyouts and Head Coach, it just doesn't seem that BT really knows what he is doing except grasping at straws. Sure he keeps saying things but words are meaningless if you keep doing the same wrong thing. His attitude comes across as he knows better and everyone else just needs to sit down and sthu. I don't live in Nashville but I watch every game via DTV and to me it looks like the players, yes they are trying, but have given up on the HC and whatever philosophy he has. I think Soros is a good kid and is a very good Goalie and has been for Nashville at times. But that new contract is a boat anchor and not a shiny one at that. It lost the Preds several other goalies, which may come to hurt the Org in the next several years. GMBT just acts stubborn and I find him offensive. I hope they can get this straitened out so the Preds don't end up like Buffalo or Ottawa for the next 10 years.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

I think GMBT is in over his head. He was a good coach, sure 1 SC win but not a great coach. And just because he was a good coach he thought he could be a GM. He is beloved here in Nashville because he was our 1st coach and was well liked. But this experiment in him being a GM has exploded, crashed and burned down terribly. From the trades, waivers, buyouts and Head Coach, it just doesn't seem that BT really knows what he is doing except grasping at straws. Sure he keeps saying things but words are meaningless if you keep doing the same wrong thing. His attitude comes across as he knows better and everyone else just needs to sit down and sthu. I don't live in Nashville but I watch every game via DTV and to me it looks like the players, yes they are trying, but have given up on the HC and whatever philosophy he has. I think Soros is a good kid and is a very good Goalie and has been for Nashville at times. But that new contract is a boat anchor and not a shiny one at that. It lost the Preds several other goalies, which may come to hurt the Org in the next several years. GMBT just acts stubborn and I find him offensive. I hope they can get this straitened out so the Preds don't end up like Buffalo or Ottawa for the next 10 years.

It's a bit difficult to untangle how to define a "good" or "great" NHL coach I guess. Trotz is #3 all-time in wins as an NHL coach. Well, in the regular season. Although his overal Winning Pct is just barely a shade over .500 and he will probably be passed by Paul Maurice, Lindy Ruff, and even Peter Laviolette in upcoming years (who are likewise all also in that questionable category of "good" vs. "great").

It's probably fair to take his lifetime wins status as a product of just longevity. And Poile being so darn patient (who the heck lets a guy stay as head coach for 15 years???). But he did win a Stanley Cup and 2 Jack Adams awards also. So I get how the question comes up.

 

[Top 6 Spaling]

I think Trotz was one of the best coaches of all time. That does not, as we have seen, make him a good GM. Terrible decision to hire him. He could have gone down as one of the most beloved figures in Tennessee sports history, but at this rate, I'm souring on him completely.

 

[Kat Predator]

I like the idea of leaving our promising young guys in Milwaukee, clearing 3-5 roster spots by trading the country club, and bringing in guys in the Tomasino/Glass/Tolvanen/Fabbro vein via trade/waivers for a "show us what you've got" stint. Hopefully we can find a useful piece or two.

All of those guys are legit NHL players and would be a pretty significant upgrade to this roster.

If we were going to send everyone we could to Milwaukee though, we'd be picking up the best waiver wire castoffs and players available for future considerations we could get. Anderson-Dolan/Fagemo/Foudy/Englund sorts of players.

 

[Kiseo]

You could fire Brunette right now and I would be certain that we would be watching more entertaining hockey than we are right now, maybe even win a few games.
When employees give up on their manager, they eventually quit.
It’s harder to change 20 players than it is to get rid of just 1 coach.

 

[nullednumbed]

I think Trotz was one of the best coaches of all time. That does not, as we have seen, make him a good GM. Terrible decision to hire him. He could have gone down as one of the most beloved figures in Tennessee sports history, but at this rate, I'm souring on him completely.

Totally agree. I think he has been a pretty awful GM and if they (hopefully) end up with a top-3 pick I am dreading to see what he does with it. Great coach, good person, bad GM.

 

[bdub24]

I said it yesterday on Mick Kern’s morning show on Sirius. Trotz and Burnette are our generational deadweights. The damage they are doing is going to only attract players from states with high income tax or wannabe country music stars

 

[Predsanddead24]

I think Trotz was one of the best coaches of all time. That does not, as we have seen, make him a good GM. Terrible decision to hire him. He could have gone down as one of the most beloved figures in Tennessee sports history, but at this rate, I'm souring on him completely.

I've said this a few times but it's the exact same scenario UT had when they tried to bring in Fulmer as an AD and it backfired spectacularly. Trotz was clearly intended to be a continuation of Poile but he brought all the bad aspects of Poile without any of the strengths. I agree with others that this franchise needs to actually just forge a new path and move away from how it was structured up to this point.