Barry Trotz to succeed David Poile as Nashville Predators general manager
Barry Trotz is back in Tennessee.
Trotz, who served as head coach of the Predators from 1998 to 2014, is expected to succeed David Poile as the team’s general manager and president of hockey operations.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman dropped the bombshell report on Sunday afternoon, revealing Poile is set to retire from day-to-day management of the franchise, effective June 30.
Trotz, 60, is expected to start work immediately, although not officially in the GM role until Poile’s retirement date. According to Friedman, Poile — to this point the only general manager the Predators have ever known — will stay on with the team in a consulting role.
Big breaking story out of Nashville: after 26 years as the Predators’ architect — the most consistent presence in franchise history — David Poile is retiring from President of Hockey Operations & GM position, effective June 30. Expectation is he will remain in a consulting role.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 26, 2023Barry Trotz is believed to be Poile’s successor. Starting work immediately…although not officially the GM until June 30
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 26, 2023The Predators are in a transitory phase on and off the ice, with the hockey club on track to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014. On Saturday, the Predators traded forward Nino Niederreiter to the Winnipeg Jets for a second-round draft pick.
Furthermore, the Predators are gearing up for the arrival of incoming owner Bill Haslam, who is set to gradually assume a majority stake in the team.
Trotz, along with Poile, was one of the two biggest off-ice faces of the first two years of NHL hockey in Tennessee. He guided the Predators through their first 15 seasons in the league, helping them reach the playoffs seven times and advance past the first round twice.
After leaving the Predators in 2014, Trotz went on to coach for the Washington Capitals (2014 to 2018) and New York Islanders (2018 to 2022). He won the Stanley Cup in his final year in D.C. before helping the Islanders reach the Final Four in both 2020 and 2021, gaining a strong reputation along the way.
Poile, 73, recently became the first executive to work 3,000 games as an NHL general manager. He began his career in 1972 as a member of the Atlanta Flames’ front office, staying with the team through its relocation to Calgary before taking over as general manager of the Capitals in 1982.
With the Predators, Poile built the team that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2017, ultimately falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. His teams have qualified for the playoffs in each of the last eight seasons.
Under current head coach John Hynes, the Predators currently rank fifth in the NHL’s Central Division with a 28–22–6 record and 62 points in 56 games.