Barry Trotz is taking himself off the NHL head coaching market as early as this summer.
On Sunday, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman broke quite the news amidst a hectic trade deadline. David Poile is set to retire from his position as general manager and President of Hockey Operations of the Nashville Predators, handing over the GM reins to Trotz on June 30 before the start of free agency.
Trotz famously got his coaching start in Nashville in 1998-99, where he coached over 1,000 games and ended his time there with a 557-479-60-100 record. The Predators made the playoffs seven times under Trotz’s guidence.
Barry Trotz is believed to be Poile’s successor. Starting work immediately…although not officially the GM until June 30
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 26, 2023
The news is big for a few reasons. First, Poile has been general manager of the Predators since the team’s inception in 1997, with his retirement ending 26 years of work in Nashville.
Not only that, Trotz has been highly sought after as a head coaching candidate after being fired from the New York Islanders in May 2022. With Trotz’s departure from the field, the NHL head coaching market is looking quite thin for big-name talent ahead of the 2023-24 season.
It’s no surprise to see Trotz become the Predators new general manager considering his history with the team. It seems as if Nashville’s future is in good hands.
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