Barry Trotz made bold moves in parts of three seasons as Nashville Predators GM. Now, he's reportedly stepping down once a successor is found.
Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz is stepping down, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Monday.
ESPN's Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski reported Trotz is retiring, and the decision is not health-related. Trotz will remain in the role until a successor is found.
Trotz, 63, has been Nashville's GM for the past three seasons after taking over for Hockey Hall of Famer David Poile. It is his first GM gig in the NHL after winning the Jack Adams Award twice and the Stanley Cup once over 23 seasons as a coach.
Some of Trotz's big acquisitions since taking over are Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, Ryan O'Reilly, and Brady Skjei. The team also drafted center Brady Martin fifth overall in 2025 and traded top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov to the San Jose Sharks last season in exchange for a 2025 first-round puck, David Edstrom and Magnus Chrona.
Trotz had high hopes of making the Predators a Stanley Cup contender.
"My intention was to make this team real good and for a long time," Trotz told the media when he acquired O'Reilly in 2023. "I don't want you to come to retire. I want you to come here to win."
Trotz hired Andre Brunette as the new coach. After a slower-than-expected start to the season, they cancelled a team trip to see U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Following that, Nashville went on an 18-game point streak. The Predators went from being four points out of a playoff spot to finishing as a wild-card team in the West before losing to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round.
Trotz, second from the right, helped honor Steven Stamkos' 600th goal on Jan. 8. (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images)That off-season, he made a splash by signing Stamkos away from Tampa Bay, then brought on Marchessault and Skjei. The hockey world took notice of Trotz's bold moves, largely praising his aggressiveness.
Despite making those additions, the Predators started the 2024-25 season 0-5-0 and later had an eight-game winless streak in November and December. After winning five straight in January, they lost six straight. After another six-game losing skid in March and April, the Preds finished third-last in the standings.
Nashville started 5-9-4 this season before going 20-14-2, bringing them to within four points of a playoff spot.
The Predators said Trotz will make an announcement alongside owner Bill Haslam and CEO Sean Henry at 1 p.m. ET, though the team did not specify what it would be.
Trotz's retirement comes with the NHL's March 6 trade deadline being just over one month away. The team is interested in listening to offers on O'Reilly, Michael Bunting and Michael McCarron, according to The Tennessean.
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