Nashville Predators Talk - 2024/2025 Season

[hido]

So, is it too early to ask if Trotz and Brunette both suck?

 

[Armourboy]

So, is it too early to ask if Trotz and Brunette both suck?

No I think when you start a season like this it becomes insanely hard to not argue your GM and Coach don't suck.

 

[Scoresberg]

it’s actually even more frustrating when you know that they’re eventually going to turn it around and either make the playoffs by a hair & get bounced in the 1st round or just miss the playoffs by a few points and miss out on a high pick (again).

 

[hockey diva]

Every time we get “pumped up” by the media, we stink. But I feel this is on Brunette. You have to work with what you have you doofus!

 

[Armourboy]

it’s actually even more frustrating when you know that they’re eventually going to turn it around and either make the playoffs by a hair & get bounced in the 1st round or just miss the playoffs by a few points and miss out on a high pick (again).

You know I'm kind of at the point that I hope we just stink all year and get the high pick rather than for them to turn it around. Not that it matters anyways, no coach or GM that we have will let them play anyways.

 

[Kat Predator]

Every time we get “pumped up” by the media, we stink. But I feel this is on Brunette. You have to work with what you have you doofus!

It does feel like some cartoon character who finds a dump truck and takes it to the drag strip only to wonder why he loses every time.

 

[hido]

Preds suck
Titans suck
NSC really sucks
Go Vandy!

 

[herzausstein]

If anyone sits it'll be Fabbro.

As is tradition

 

[nullednumbed]

So, is it too early to ask if Trotz and Brunette both suck?

I will be shocked if that deal he gave Saros turns out to be remotely good. Also handing out all of that money to older guys instead of addressing the biggest need on this team - real help down the middle - is also squarely on Trotz.

 

[Soundgarden]

it’s actually even more frustrating when you know that they’re eventually going to turn it around and either make the playoffs by a hair & get bounced in the 1st round or just miss the playoffs by a few points and miss out on a high pick (again).

Don't forget when we eventually trade/waive that pick because he's not a selke nominee.

 

[Armourboy]

Imagine two years ago Poile set Trotz up pretty good to be able to go into a rebuild. Fans were willing and ready and instead of taking the opportunity this is what you deliver to the fans.

Makes me wonder what things would look like if it weren't for that 18 games streak last season. Feels a bit like Trotz made the same mistake Poile did a couple of times. Chasing something that was a mirage.

 

[LeighDx59]

I know he's only been here a year or so, but how long is that leash for Brunette?

When he was hired, the goal was different, we seemed to be entering a retool and I thought he did an alright job last season. Made the Playoffs with the roster we had, but after signing Stamkos/Marchy/Skjei and re-upping Saros, the goal is clearly to win the Cup and having a small window to do so. Does Trotz be patient and hope things sort themselves out? Or if we have a really bad first time games record wise does he finally promote Taylor?

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

I will be shocked if that deal he gave Saros turns out to be remotely good. Also handing out all of that money to older guys instead of addressing the biggest need on this team - real help down the middle - is also squarely on Trotz.

2C and defense were what we needed, and both are still glaring holes.

 

[Kat Predator]

Don't forget when we eventually trade/waive that pick because he's not a selke nominee.

Since we're looking up statistical rarities today, when is the last time a player was a Selke nominee and only got to play 4 minutes a game?

 

[sparkle twin]

And we get Boston Tuesday. The last 2 games that Boston has played here they've shut us out.

So I guess that will either be an unexpected, hard-fought win or an utter shit show. There's no in-between.

 

[Armourboy]

So what is the record for consecutive losses to start a season? I say lets go for that.

 

[BigFatCat999]

So what is the record for consecutive losses to start a season? I say lets go for that.

11 and how about no let’s just fix this shit there’s plenty of Talent

 

[Soundgarden]

At least Trotz came in and tried making a splash and give us something to get excited for, even if Stamkos couldn't play center anymore or was just a pp specialist it's worth the risk.

Brunette's insistence on playing Lauzon and Schenn over Fabbro is pretty inexcusable at this point.

 

[Armourboy]

11 and how about no let’s just fix this shit there’s plenty of Talent

Why? So you can be 3 points short of making the playoffs and getting another mid round pick?

 

[Byrddog]

Don't forget when we eventually trade/waive that pick because he's not a selke nominee.

It not really a secret that both Butnette and Trotz are defensive minded. While Trotz did change a bit in Washington and on the Island. Neither are going to change to an offense first mentality.

But what do you do when you face problems on both sides of the puck? You go out and do what Trotz did in the off-season bring in a couple of proven veterans and depend on finding a couple younger guys that don't suck not going to be superstars but just don't suck. Being sold on the 1st line and having just the hole at center on the 2nd created no room for wingers in the top 6.

Before calling for coaches or GM's head I would have to think a couple trades would occur and that could have been in Trotz plan all along. I doubt he envisioned this roster to be this bad.

Losing two to the Wings is disgusting. Pulling the goalie has been a disaster too , mentally that's just demoralizing. A 5 game losing streak mid year is far different that starting the year. Especially looking forward to road trips and tough opponents.

 

[Preds Partisan]

Five more games to right this ship or it's time to scuttle it.

 

[nine_inch_fang]

Five more games to right this ship or it's time to scuttle it.

Five? You're more patient than Poile.

 

[TheOriginalJez]

it’s actually even more frustrating when you know that they’re eventually going to turn it around and either make the playoffs by a hair & get bounced in the 1st round or just miss the playoffs by a few points and miss out on a high pick (again).

The difference this season is that if we do make the playoffs I don't think we get bounced. I think if this group clicks (if) then it becomes pretty dominant. The only challenges should be the Oilers and the Avs with McDavid/Draisaitl and MacKinnon/Makar. The Stars will be around there but *if* the team gels I think they'll be better.

Right now the biggest question is if this group of players can play together and the best answer to that will come if lines are kept together for more than 50 seconds....

 

[glenngineer]

During the game today I thought to myself, what's the problem? Then I started thinking, when we were at our best, who were some of the players in our lineup? As much as any of us wouldn't like to admit it, the best rosters we had were with Arnott and Johansen as our top centers and Legwand/Ribeiro and Fisher as our second line centers. I think we can all agree to that. Even if people want to debate that, we'd be missing the bigger point.

As much as we love ROR and his compete level, he is a 2C. Unfortunately, he's the best we've got up the middle so he's not where he should be slotted in the lineup. We all knew going into the season that filling the 2C slot was going to be crucial to our success. We hear Bruno chirping late in the preseason that he needs to see more from Novak and then before the end of game 1, he's already swapped him out of the lineup. His jobs as coach is to put Novak in a place to succeed. While some guys respond to getting "called out", it's still on him as a coach to get the most out of him.

As much as I'd like to say Bruno has screwed the pooch so far, he's not the only one to look at. Trotz is the one who gave him this lineup. Trotz is the one who's said we need to get better centers. Well, we went out and signed two wingers, a defenseman and re-signed a soon to be 30 year old goalie to an 8 year deal coming off arguably his worst season in the NHL. I get that centers are hard to acquire. I get that talented centers are even harder to acquire. We've hopefully got some help coming in Svechkov and Surin in a few years but that doesn't help this group now.

Until we solve the mystery down the middle, we will always be, at best, a mushy middle team. The other saving grace of this team has always been a strong defensive pipeline and right now, we're dry there as well until Molendyk and Gibson get here.

I get wanting to bring in winning players and try for a Cup while we have Forsberg and Josi in their primes. The problem still exists that we're relying far too much on tweeners to fill the bottom of the roster than letting the kids play and allowing them to make mistakes. Watching today I'm like, where's Tomasino? I see Smith take a penalty after the whistle 200 feet from our own net yet he still gets shifts. To me, that sets a terrible example. That penalty is inexcusable and while a friend of mine and I discussed, he said it got the team fired up, point well taken, you still don't take penalties like that. We have no idea what Tomasino did or didn't do to ride the pine. I then noticed Evangelista was getting the same treatment. I'm like, what gives? Smith and McC do lots of dumb stuff out there, blow coverages, yet get ice time, late in games, when we're down a goal, yet we have offensively gifted players riding the pine instead of being on the ice trying to get us out of the hole? How does this make any sort of sense?

While I'm there, why is Fabbro still getting scratched? If I'm him, Tomasino and Parssinen, I'd ask to get moved. The constant in and out of the lineup. The constant benching and for what, we have no idea has got to be demoralizing for them and any other kid that is trying to make this team.

If you want Tomasino to produce, show him videos of Sully and how tenacious he was as a player. Say Phil, this is what we want you to do, shift after shift after shift. Willy was talking about March on the radio yesterday and said, he's not always the nicest guy to be around because he wants to win and he's intense. Pair Tomasino with him and say, this is what we want from you.

Until the playing field is level for all players, the kids and the fans for that matter are going to be frustrated. I'd rather sit the fourth line for a game or two and give Parssinen, Tomasino and ZLH a look. ZLH is the type of guy this lineup needs right now. An in your face, relentless kid with an attitude. Cause here's the thing, no one else on this team is lighting them on fire. You picked him in the draft for a reason, give him a shot. It can't be any worse than what we've already seen.