Barry Trotz is retiring as general manager of the Nashville Predators after three seasons.
The 63-year-old will remain in the role until a successor is found and stay with the team as an adviser. Trotz was hired as GM on Feb. 27, 2023, and officially replaced David Poile on July 1.
The Predators (25-23-6) are fifth in the Central Division entering their game against the St. Louis Blues on Monday (8 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, FDSNSO). They trail the Los Angeles Kings by four points for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.
“After working for 40 years in professional sports and 26 years in the National Hockey League, including the past three as the general manager of the Nashville Predators, I told (Predators owner) Bill Haslam in December that I would be stepping away at the conclusion of my contract at the end of the 2026-27 season,” Trotz said. “After some discussion, we elected to begin a search for my replacement now, but I am happy to work in my current role until we make a new hire, however long that might be.”
Nashville qualified for the playoffs in Trotz’s first season as GM in 2023-24 (47-30-5) but lost the Western Conference First Round in six games to the Vancouver Canucks.
The Predators made two big forward signings after that season -- Steven Stamkos (four years, $8 million average annual value) and Jonathan Marchessault (five years, $5.5 million AAV) -- but Nashville finished 30th in the NHL in 2024-25 (30-44-8).
After a 6-12-4 start to this season, Trotz told The Tennessean on Nov. 24 that he was not firing coach Andrew Brunette and that the players deserved the bulk of the blame. The Predators were last in the League in goals per game (2.32) and 30th in goals against (3.68) at the time.
Stamkos has 39 points (25 goals, 14 assists) and is minus-16 in 54 games this season; Marchessault has 14 points (nine goals, five assists) and is minus-19 in 35 games.
“I need more [expletive] from them,” Trotz said. “I need more. … I'm watching the game systematically. I know who makes mistakes. When the puck is on someone's stick and they pass it right to [the other team], that's not [Brunette's] fault."
Nashville is 19-11-2 since then. It entered Monday 25th in the NHL in goals per game (2.83) and 27th in goals against (3.39).
“Obviously, very surprised; I think everyone was,” Predators captain Roman Josi said. “I don’t think anybody saw it coming from the team. Yeah, very surprised.
“… Obviously he’s still here and he’s still the GM. For us, we’ve got a game tonight, so we’re focused on the game tonight. We’re in a playoff hunt and there’s a lot of important games coming up. For the team, nothing really changes. I think our job is to make the playoffs and fight for a playoff spot. The rest is kind of not up to us, so it doesn’t change much for the team.”
Trotz was the first coach in Predators history, hired Aug. 6, 1997. He coached them from their inaugural expansion season in 1998-99 to 2013-14.
He went 557-479-60 in 1,196 games as Nashville’s coach and was 19-31 in seven playoff appearances, losing in the first round five times and in the second round twice. He went on to coach the Washington Capitals from 2014-15 to 2017-18, winning the Stanley Cup in his final season.
Trotz coached the New York Islanders from 2018-2019 to 2021-22, leading them to the playoffs in three of four seasons, including consecutive trips to the semifinals (2020, 2021).
He ranks fifth in NHL history with 914 wins as a coach.
