Barry Trotz Complimentary But Noncommital On John Hynes' Future
Incoming GM Barry Trotz praised head coach John Hynes but stopped short of confirming Hynes' return for the final season of his contract.
On Monday GM David Poile, incoming GM Barry Trotz, and Head Coach John Hynes sat down for an end of the season press conference addressing the 2022-2023 season and the future of the franchise. Each acknowledged the challenges of the past season and the encouraging final push the Predators made despite falling short of making the postseason.
Those early challenges of the season raise questions about the future of the franchise, especially as it relates to the coaching position.
Incoming GM Barry Trotz was complimentary of John Hynes for how he navigated a turbulent season.
"John has done a terrific job in us doing a little bit of a tear down with some guys," Trotz said. "The one thing John has done is he looked at the roster, he prepared the roster, and got them ready to find a way to win down the stretch, so compliment to John and his staff for that."
Both Trotz and Hynes spoke positively about the working relationship they formed over the last few months as the team navigated roster altering trades and injuries.
Compliment aside, Trotz stopped short of publicly committing to Hynes as the head coach next season.
"John has a contract," Trotz said when asked about Hynes' future with the franchise. "As I said, this will be a process and I'm going to evaluate it from the players, the staff, John. John is going to talk about his plan for next year and go from there."
"That's the process, and you've got to respect the process."
Hynes is under contract through the 2023-2024 season, but it isn't just the ups and downs of the regular season that raise questions about his future with the organization. With Trotz taking over the reins, some speculate he may want to bring in his own picks for the coaching staff. There is also the Karl Taylor factor. The success that Taylor has had in Milwaukee, especially as the Admirals prepare for a Calder Cup run, makes him a potential candidate for an NHL coaching job any day now.
Trotz was asked about Admirals head coach Karl Taylor on Monday.
"Karl's done a really good job," Trotz affirmed. "Karl's been a part of the development plan. Karl has been a part of the winning in Milwaukee. So yes, he will be assessed like everybody else for sure."
With the Predators season over, the work begins as Barry Trotz takes over the reins this offseason and puts together a 2023-2024 roster that will hope to perform and compete more consistently than the team did this season. But after yesterday's press conference, the main question for the Predators remains unanswered. Nashville will have to wait a little longer to learn what the path forward for head coach John Hynes and this franchise will be.
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