predjoe

"My Take On The Preds"

TN • United States • 40 Years Old • Male

Trotz and CO. Safe

The Predators picked up the one year options today on the entire coaching staff of the Preds meaning that head coach Barry Trotz, assistants Brent Peterson, Peter Horachek and goaltending coach Mitch Korn will all be back with the club next season.

Preds GM David Poile had this to say about Trotz:

“Teams and ownership change coaches, and managers, for that matter way, way too much, and really for not a lot of supporting reasons to do it. I chose Barry Trotz. He was a young coach who had never coached in the National Hockey League. Now he’s second in seniority. …”

It really is quite an amazing story when you think about it. Trotz comes in having not ever coached higher than the AHL level and ten years later he is still with the club. I believed Trotz did a great job getting teams to play way above their talent level early on but wondered if he was a good playoff coach. I knew someone who worked at a high end tailor shop who said every time Barry walked out of their shop in the early days they wondered if they would ever see him again. Well I think they did and I’m sure he has bought a few more suits from them.

Overall I am pleased with this decision but I wonder if there should be some changes at the assistant level. Peter Horchek is responsible for our power play and this past year, to state it plainly, it way not good. Our PP in years past has been our bread and butter. Our personal has improved yet the numbers go down.

I do think, however, that Trotz and his staff are gone if the Preds once again fail to go deep into the playoffs.