Preds' Barry Trotz to step down as GM

Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz announced Monday that he is retiring.

Trotz, 63, will remain in his current role until a successor is identified and will stay with the organization as an advisor through the 2026-27 season.

The announcement marks the beginning of the end of Trotz’s second act with the franchise. After serving as Nashville’s inaugural head coach for 15 seasons (1998–2014), Trotz returned to the front office in 2023 to succeed longtime GM David Poile. He took over on July 1, 2023, assuming a role as a front office executive for the first time in his career and becoming just the second GM in the team’s history.

"After working for 40 years in professional sports and 26 years in the National Hockey League... I told Bill Haslam in December that I would be stepping away," Trotz said in a statement. "I consider myself a ‘Pred for Life’ and will continue to assist the organization in working toward our aspiration of bringing a Stanley Cup to Nashville."

Trotz’s tenure as GM was defined by aggressive, "win-now" maneuvers. On July 1, 2024, he landed superstar Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei for a combined $100 million. However, early returns proved futile. The Preds struggled for the entire 2024-25 season, finishing seventh in the Central Division and 14th in the Western Conference.

With Trotz in charge, the Predators posted a record of 102-97-19. He guided the team to the playoffs seven times. From there, Trotz coached the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders, winning the Jack Adams in 2015-16 and 2018-19, and guiding the Caps to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2018.