The Nashville Predators aren't exactly in free fall, but the panic button is looking more and more like it needs to be pressed. Right now they are buried at the bottom of the Central Division. They are much closer to the wild card playoff spot or the third and final divisional spot, but getting there is going to be a dogfight within a deep Central Division and Western Conference.
The team is floundering before our eyes and it seems that despite his best efforts, Andrew Brunette is unable to squeeze the same success out of this squad as he did last years. Despite arguably being more talented the fit suddenly seems off and there seems to be a lack of chemistry throughout the lineup.
You can change it as many times as you want, but you have finite options for who can and should be playing together on this team. Brunette is close to exhausting these options. The season isn't lost, but won't be viable for much longer without some serious changes.
The Predators still have one nuclear option. Barry Trotz.
Yes, Barry Trotz. He in theory could step in behind the bench whenever he wanted. It ended up being a theory brought up in passing by Sean McIndoe over at the Athletic last weekend. Andrew Brunette isn't doing a bad job, and doesn't seem to have too many serious detractors, but Barry Trotz is a coaching legend and the idea of him being behind the bench is tempting.
This would be the most talented team that Trotz has ever coached. The argument could be made rather easily that this team has more on paper talent than the Stanley Cup winning 2017-18 team that Trotz bench bossed to a championship.
With his experience, if he and the higher ups decide that Brunette isn't the answer, Trotz is the greatest stop gap in NHL history. Also this a move that would at least have some NHL precedence. Lou Lamoriello has either lost or dumped his coach three times and jumped behind the bench, and he doesn't have nearly the same coaching pedigree as Trotz.
If he pulled off the move it would instantly shock the system of the team and they'd either react well or tank horribly, but it certainly would cause something to happen. There is no reality where this doesn't result in a major shift within the organization.
Now, is this something that should happen? Probably not. Andrew Brunette is a good coach, he's proven that. He doesn't seem to have lost the locker room in any way, and he's under contract. Trotz to his credit isn't the type of general manager to push the panic button, and the franchise has craved consistency since he left the bench. Removing Brunette and inserting himself would be the opposite of what Trotz really wants to do.
This is something that could happen though, no matter how improbable it seems. Barry Trotz is always an option, and it might be something that crosses the mind of Andrew Brunette, or whoever ends up being the next coach.