The Nashville Predators are among the clubs teetering on the edge of a fire sale. But that’s not the message GM Barry Trotz wants to send.
The situation surrounding the Predators has gotten extremely tense after Trotz called out his team in an expletive-filled quote. The club responded by dropping a risible 8-3 decision to the Florida Panthers on Monday night.
Still, Trotz isn’t budging. He insists that the team is not in fire sale mode, at least not right now. Despite the Preds’ season circling the drain, Trotz is holding his breath a little longer. Trotz told ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski on Monday that it’s nothing more than “noise” surrounding his team.
Trotz stated:
“You hear this from a lot of teams: ‘We’re looking for a top-six [forward].’ You know, I have a couple of top sixes. I’ve talked to their agents. I just want to get a feel for [things]. If we get this turned around, it’ll be fine. If we don’t, then maybe they want to say, ‘Hey, I’m getting a little older, I want another crack at it. Can we do something?’”
Based on the comments, Trotz and the Predators are willing to explore potential moves. But that’s something that would largely depend on how the season is going. Nashville may not be ready to kick the bucket just yet, but as Trotz admitted, the next:
“…seven or eight games are going to be a good indicator…”
The comment came before Monday’s game against Florida. So, the Preds could have roughly two to three more weeks to convince their GM that they can still salvage something out of this season.
Predators Open to Moving Veteran Stars
When the Predators signed Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, champagne bottles popped from Nashville to Antarctica. Since that 2024 offseason, however, things haven’t gone quite as expected.
Stamkos, for instance, had a 27-goal campaign last year. This season, he has four in 22 games. Marchessault had 21 last year, precisely half of his previous year’s total of 42. This season, four goals in 19 games.
Perhaps the Predators just weren’t a good fit. So, the hope other teams may have is that veterans like Stamkos, Marchessault, or even Ryan O’Reilly, for that matter, could find a renaissance in another locale.
As such, the next “seven or eight” games will determine if the Predators push the red button and make a splash.
Nashville Hoping to Avoid the R-Word
Teams like the Predators find themselves on the precipice of the R-word. A full-blown rebuild is something that teams and fans hate. A full teardown and rebuild can take upwards of a decade. Just ask the Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, and Chicago Blackhawks. It’s been even worse for the San Jose Sharks and the Buffalo Sabres.
While the Red Wings, Ducks, Blackhawks, and Sharks have improved this year, the Sabres continue to sink. Could that be the fate for the Predators?
Assuming the organization does everything right, it could be at least five to six years before the club can return to contention. Predators’ fans may not like it, but that could be the road ahead.
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