The General Manager market just got narrower for the Nashville Predators as Ryan Johnson is off the board.
The Vancouver Canucks hired Johnson as their new GM, in addition to franchise legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin hirings as the team's co-presidents of hockey operations. With another candidate off the market for Nashville, its search for the organization's next general manager has only become harder.
Johnson's hiring might be what the Predators need to begin kicking tires in their management search. It'll be a race against time to find the perfect candidate to carry on the Smashville name.
Fitzgerald, among others who lead Preds front office conversations
Past reports speculated that the team may be waiting it out to hire a name still in the NHL playoffs; new reports speculate the opposite. Regardless, there are still a handful of names still in the air on who the inheritor will be. That list will only become narrower as team's lockdown its members.
One name that consistently appears in the Predators hiring race is former New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is an alum of the Predators organization, being the team's first captain in franchise history. In the front office, Fitzgerald rebuilt the Devils organization through the draft and signing key pieces long-term.
He's sparked fear among the Nashville fanbase due to his questionable roster management, such as the Ondrej Palat signing and the little roster space for the rookies. Considering the Predators encountered these issues quite frequently in the past, a healthy number of fans aren't happy with the name.
Other names like Brett Peterson, Darren Yorke and Bill Scott have entered the mix and appear to be the next-in-line candidates for the position.
Peterson is the assistant general manager for the Florida Panthers. He's overseen the creation of a two-time Stanley Cup winning team. With the Panthers organization in turmoil after missing the playoffs, Peterson's job may be at risk, giving the Predators a perfect opportunity to hire a GM who knows how to win.
Yorke's name has appeared in and out of the race. He was a frontrunner for the job after analysts reported the team was chasing after a winning AGM, but those were quickly shut down by top analyst Elliotte Friedman. Yorke is the AGM for the Carolina Hurricanes, whom are currently 8-0 in the playoffs. The coming weeks will reveal if Yorke is still considered a candidate for Preds GM.
More and more speculation the Nashville Predators could be hiring an individual working with a club that is currently playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as their next GM. Darren Yorke from Carolina appears to be a candidate. There’s talk the Preds are paying their next GM on the…
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) May 14, 2026
Scott is the AGM for the Edmonton Oilers who, much like Panthers, are undergoing management changes. After a first-round elimination, the Oilers may switch up the front office, including Scott. Scott has experience working the league's top superstars and his connection to the Canadien market may be crucial as teams like Ottawa and Toronto hold tradeable talent.
The general manager position won't be open forever in Nashville, but it's been a long time coming for the hiring announcement. Johnson's hiring was a wake-up call for the Predators front office, and they need to act on it.
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