The Nashville Predators failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second time in the past decade. They finished the year with a franchise-worst 30-44-8 record, placing third last in the league. Predators' fans came into the season expecting greatness but were torn down pretty quickly. Many have pointed their fingers at Head Coach Andrew Brunette as the main reason for the team's downfall.
Forward Jonathan Marchessault was critical about the current coaching situation when addressed at the season-closing media meeting.
"Clearly it didn't work. Obviously, there is going to be some adjustments to do. I'm a guy that has a lot of opinions and I don't think I'm going to run them out right now, but there's definitely adjustments."Jonathan Marchessault, via TheTennessean
The Predators' future is uncertain, especially with Brunette behind the net. However, Barry Trotz has the opportunity to potentially revive the franchise and steer them in the right direction. The New York Rangers recently fired Head Coach Peter Laviolette after missing the playoffs a year after winning the President's trophy.
The early back page: PETER OUT!
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) April 20, 2025
Rangers say 'Later Lavy' after taking disastrous nosedive
Read more: https://t.co/wYbB4ZEyXY pic.twitter.com/VMHphHZ1Y5
Laviolette was the Head Coach of the Predators from 2014 to 2020. Let's break down the reasons why Trotz should give the idea a chance.
Laviolette Brought the Predators to their First Stanley Cup Appearance
The Predators have only appeared in the finals once in their 26-year existence in the NHL. Laviolette was coaching the Predators behind the bench at this time period. He had a Stanley Cup win under his belt with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and was looking to win another with Nashville. Unfortunately, we all know what happened in 2017 and his goal wasn't fulfilled. Minus this grueling memory, he shined a lot of the light on the under looked franchise.
During his tenure as head coach, the Predators saw the greatest years of hockey that they've ever seen. In his first year behind the bench, the Predators returned to the postseason for the first time in two seasons. Even though they lost in game six of the opening round, it set the stage for more to be done. The next season, the Predators saw even more success with their round one victory. They ultimately fell in game 7 of round two but they didn't stop pushing.
In the 2016-17 season, they swept the western conference leading Chicago Blackhawks in the first round. They then matched up with the St. Louis Blues, taking them down in six games. In the franchise's first conference finals appearance, they took the series 4-2 against the pacific division leader Anaheim Ducks. In the finals, the Predators played their very best against the Pittsburgh Penguins but lost in game six as a result of questionable officiating.
The Predators won the President's trophy the following season with a 53-18-11 record. They lost in the second round against the Winnipeg Jets in a hard fought 7 games. They finished first in their division the next year but lost in six games to the Dallas Stars. In Laviolette's last season, the Predators were fifth in their division and at the halfway mark of the 19-20 season, he was fired.
In his six years with the Predators, he brought the franchise to multiple franchise firsts and became one of the most successful teams of that era. He brought pride to those wearing the mustard yellow and turned Nashville a hockey town. The chanting at Predators games can be tied back to the Cinderella run the squad had in 2017 under Laviolette's control.
Nashville Needs a Playoff-Experienced Coach, Laviolette Fills the Quota
Laviolette has been behind the bench in 170 playoff games. His 88 playoff victories is 11th all-time among playoff coaches. He is above notable names like Lightning Head Coach Jon Cooper and Predators GM Barry Trotz. While he may only have won a single cup in his 170 games, he is one of the most successful coaches in the postseason. He has a 0.518 winning percentage in the postseason and has brought the majority of his teams past the first round.
Brunette on the other hand, is extremely inexperienced when it comes to the playoffs. Sure, he has only been in the league for three seasons, but you'd rather want someone who knows how to handle the playoffs rather than somebody who doesn't. In his 16 playoffs games, he has six wins, four of which were with the Florida Panthers. The Predators have multiple cup winners on our roster, such as Stammer, Marchy, and Factor but that isn't enough to guide the team in a cup-winning direction.
If you were to have someone who has been successful in the past, especially in the postseason, you'd most definitely get more success than someone who has little. Hiring Laviolette makes a lot of sense for the Predators and could potentially push the squad into the right direction. However, there is a small negative that comes along with Laviolette.
Young Guys May Be Pushed Out of the Lineup in Favor of Veterans
Laviolette has been known to show more respect to his older guys rather than developing players. The Predators roster is full of young studs looking for more ice time. If Trotz were to bring both Laviolette along with some star additions in the offseason, the outlook for rookies would be mostly negative.
Players like Luke Evangelista and Fedor Svechkov would likely remain in the lineup due to their instant impact but players like Matthew Wood and Ryan Ufko would have to fight for more time. We saw Laviolette remove Capitals forwards Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas out the lineup. When he left the organization, both of these players prospered and have been some of the better players on the Capitals roster.
If something like this were to happen to the Predators, it would not only hurt the team, but potentially hurt player development. We have some pretty good players under contract waiting for their turn to touch NHL ice. With the Predators selecting top three in this year's draft, Laviolette could limit how quickly a top prospect could make an impact.
If Laviolette can make some room for the future of Nashville, I believe that we could see a lot of success with his arrival. Making some move for Laviolette this offseason would make a lot of sense for Trotz. It's only a matter of time before something happens to Brunette and somebody else is brought in.
To be noted, there is no solid indication that Brunette's job is in jeopardy to be the head coach of the Predators in 2025-26, but Trotz has yet to make direct communication with the media on this matter since the season officially ended for Nashville on Wednesday.