March 7 is the NHL trade deadline and Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz is ready to add some youth to the team.
While it will cause pain Trotz has expressed his plan to the locker room and his staff.
“I’ve talked to all of our top players and said let’s be honest. Here’s the plan, if you’re in that’s great and if not then let me know and I’ll make a move,” Trotz said on his Tuesday radio hit with Jared Stillman.
“Right now I’m concerned with how we play until the end of the year. You can’t control wins or losses but you can control your effort, you can control how you play. You’ll run into teams with better rosters right now. Doesn’t mean lay down and let them roll over you.”
Now that Trotz has witnessed a shift in his plan after setting a high bar last summer it’s time to embrace a new era in order to take a larger step as a team.
“I’m okay with it now. We took our swing, okay. We still need guys to be able to play against top players. We have some of those players, they’re starting to age,” Trotz said.
“The next group needs some support, the next group is going to need those guys if we finish where we are this year and we get the high pick. That young man is going to need some help, you just do. We’re going to be okay, we have a good culture. We don’t believe in losing, so maybe it’s just staying the course that’s all.”
The Predators have six players who have some form of no-movement clause on their roster. Time is dwindling for Trotz to start making moves to shake up the team. There have been depth moves with the Milwaukee Admirals but nothing big has taken place in the NHL yet.
Trotz says he didn’t get any pushback from his players when addressing the plan for the franchise. Rather it was met with open arms after putting up lackluster results this season.
“For lack of a better word, we were sort of embarrassed by it and lack of production and not being where we want to be,” Trotz said of the message he got from his team.
“I thought our effort against Colorado was a real solid effort. I didn’t like our game with the Devils, it sort of unraveled. Our commitment level was really good [against Colorado].”
Fans can continue to expect that as a consistent theme with 26 more games to play, including tonight’s game against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
On the flip side, Nashville’s head coach Andrew Brunette will be evaluated as well over the next few months.
It’s a results business and frankly, the Predators may need more than just roster changes this offseason.
Trotz said he plans to have exit meetings with the players and staff to get a read on everything that’s unfolded this season.
“I’m going to have a really good feel of the direction,” Trotz told Stillman. “I think Andrew is a hell of a coach. At the same time, the roster and the coach have to be in sync. I’m running this until the end, we’ll assess and make our decisions.”
His message to the fans is simple. Pain will be required if there’s to be any success in the future with the Nashville Predators.
“Understand that there’s going to be some pain. Part of that pain on the bright side is you’re going to get some good stuff out of it,” Trotz said.
“Anything worth doing as they say, you will have to go through some pain to do it and we’re going to have to go through some pain to get those guys. I’m not forcing it, I want our veteran guys and our team to lay it on the line every night.
“I know our roster at this point is not as deep and strong as it should be. Don’t lay down on anything, I know there’s going to be some tough nights where they’re going to come at us and we can’t match.”
Listen to the full interview with Barry Trotz right here or search “Stillman & Company” where you get your podcasts.
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