Nashville Predators: Who Is Truly to Blame For Their Failures?

The Players

There has been something inherently wrong with the Nashville Predators since the 2017 Stanley Cup run. The Predators have gotten worse every year since and have seen progressively earlier playoff exits.

During the 2019-20 season, the team was in shambles, and Poile pulled the trigger on a coaching change, but with the caveat that it was on the players to make the necessary changes to succeed.

While they did well for a time, the Predators are back to their old habits, but with far worse consequences. With the way they are playing now, this team will be virtually unrecognizable next season.

The upcoming trade deadline in April could bring forth a lot of changes and long-time players leaving.

Peter Laviolette may have lost command of the locker room before his exit, and Hynes may not have it now. Regardless, the responsibility is on the players to implement changes and execute the gameplan.

A recent “players only” meeting and visible frustration in after-game interviews show that the players are fed up with their lackadaisical play. They either can’t implement the adjustments or are not getting the proper coaching.

Fans have heard about “player slumps”  for a couple of seasons now. Each year we’ve been hopeful that said players will play up to their potential and perform as they have in the past.

We have to come to grips because the time is up for this current core that’s been here for several seasons now. Regardless of how they perform the rest of the season, a rebuild is necessary to ensure future success.