Predators rumors: Ex-Oilers, Bruins GM among candidates for Nashville GM job

The Nashville Predators are not only in the middle of a playoff push but also searching for a new general manager after news earlier this season that Barry Trotz was stepping down. Trotz is staying on in the GM role in the interim, but is willing to stick around if the Predators find the right candidate. With the recent news of Peter Chiarelli leaving the St. Louis Blues’ organization, there could be a link between the two, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

“Nashville is shrinking its list of GM contenders. I don’t believe any external candidate has interviewed in person. Not sure of the timeline, but that’s going to change in the near future. In addition to the already reported names, others who have been spoken to include St. Louis Vice-President of Hockey Operations Peter Chiarelli and an intriguing, fresh name, Edmonton assistant GM Bill Scott. It’s a wide net, and we’re still figuring out who else is involved,” Friedman reported.

The Predators aren’t going to rush into hiring Chiarelli just for the sake of it. He is a former Stanley Cup-winning executive, but after some questionable moves during his Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins tenures, there are questions about whether he can take over an organization again. Nashville is willing to wait until the summer, according to Pierre LeBrun via X, formerly Twitter.

“My sense of the Preds’ executive search is that they are not feeling rushed by any deadline, they’ve cast a wide net (spoken to 15 or so people), and it’ll take as long as it needs to take until they make the hire(s) they feel are right,” LeBrun posted. “So if outgoing GM Barry Trotz needs to run the June draft, so be it. But obviously, a hire could happen before then.”

The Predators looked to be in a rebuild mode just months ago, but after a recent surge, they could have their sights set on a first-round date with the Colorado Avalanche.

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