Fresh off a successful tenure in Colorado, the veteran executive takes the reins in Nashville to navigate a pivotal offseason defined by roster restructuring and bold personnel moves.
The Nashville Predators have found their new general manager.
As my colleague Jack Williams alluded to in an earlier report, the Predators had permission to speak with Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland. However, since that report, they have officially announced that he has been hired to lead the organization.
The Predators needed a fresh voice to help guide them into the next era of Predators hockey. With Barry Trotz leaving the organization, they landed one of the top candidates available, which should help them navigate what could be a pivotal stretch for the franchise.
For MacFarland, this is a step up from his previous role with the Avalanche. At the same time, it comes with a different set of challenges. He now has the opportunity to oversee an entire organization and, assuming ownership is on board, will have the freedom to make the moves he believes are necessary.
It is safe to say he is excited about the opportunity. In the press release, he had this to say:
"My wife Chandra and I, together with our children, are grateful to Bill and Crissy Haslam and the entire Nashville Predators family for this opportunity," MacFarland said. "We also thank everyone at the Avalanche, including Joe Sakic and the Kroenke family, for their support in pursuing this position with the Predators. I believe Nashville will be a great fit for me.
"I know this is a proud organization with a solid track record of putting together teams that the fans of Smashville support wholeheartedly. My goal here is to build a winner, working with (owner) Bill Haslam, Sean Henry and our hockey operations staff and players to put a team on the ice that will compete for the Stanley Cup. I am excited about our future."
MacFarland took over as general manager of the Avalanche in 2022 and enjoyed plenty of success during his tenure. That included the 2025-26 season, which ultimately ended in a surprising sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final. Now, his focus shifts to Nashville, where he will look to address several areas of need and could explore moving some contracts this summer.
It should be an interesting offseason in Nashville, especially with MacFarland now at the helm. Throughout his career, he has shown that he is willing to make bold moves when he believes they will improve his team.
