The Nashville Predators are entering a new era under president and general manager Chris MacFarland, who joined the franchise after helping build the Colorado Avalanche team that won the Stanley Cup in 2022.
The Predators aren’t currently close to championship contention after missing the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, but the goal appears to be getting the franchise back on track rather than tearing the roster down, as The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported on a recent episode of Daily Faceoff Live.
“I think it’s a little bit of restructuring,” Pagnotta said. “I don’t know if I want to categorize it as a retool, but it doesn’t sound like it’s going to be a rebuild. This is a ‘get us back on track’ and ‘start to veer us back in the right direction.'”
Those comments should come as welcome news for the fan base; Nashville still boasts a veteran core led by captain Roman Josi, while several promising young players continue to work their way through the organization’s system.
According to Pagnotta, MacFarland’s challenge will be finding the right balance between maintaining that veteran foundation and making adjustments to a roster that failed to meet expectations.
“I think they’re going to restructure some of the roster,” Pagnotta added. “They’ve got some good young kids in the system; they’ve got some good pieces.”
One player whose future could be worth monitoring is Jonathan Marchessault. After arriving in Nashville with high expectations, the veteran winger has emerged as a potential trade candidate if MacFarland decides changes are necessary.
Pagnotta noted that Marchessault could be open to a move under the right circumstances, although a conversation with Nashville’s new president may ultimately determine how both sides view the future.
“We know some pieces that haven’t worked, like Jonathan Marchessault, for example. Maybe his mindset changed because I think he’s willing and open to accept the trade to the right environment, but does MacFarland come in and have a conversation, and does he explain what the direction of this team is?”
The Predators’ veteran leadership group has little interest in starting over from scratch, and that’s why Pagnotta believes this offseason will be more about fine-tuning than making sweeping changes.
The post Predators rumors: Will new president Chris MacFarland immediately retool Nashville’s roster? appeared first on ClutchPoints.
