Trotz vows Predators aren't rebuilding: 'We are resetting'
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The Nashville Predators sit last in the NHL standings this season and the only team in the league yet to hit double-digit wins despite having played 32 games.
The team appeared to make a move that signalled a focus on their future Wednesday, trading defenceman Alexander Carrier to the Montreal Canadiens for Justin Barron.
General manager Barry Trotz told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun in The Athletic, though, that the deal should not be read into as more than a transaction to shake up their current roster.
“It’s not a rebuild,” Trotz told LeBrun. “I’m not in the business of not winning. I’m in the business of trying to win. We’re not selling off. We are resetting. We know where we are. It’s not where we thought we would be.
“But we want to move forward.”
Carrier, 28, one goal and seven points in 28 games this season. He signed a three-year, $11.25 million contract extension with the Predators in the off-season. Signed at a cap hit of $3.75 million, he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
Barron is 23 years old and has a goal in 17 games with the Canadiens this season while averaging 14:43 of ice time. He is signed through 2025-26 at a cap hit of $1.15 million.
Trotz added to LeBrun that his interest in Barron dates back to last season and noted he was seeking a right-handed shot on the blueline. Shedding salary, though, is also a priority for Predators, with Trotz planning to be aggressive again next summer to help the team bounce back from what has become a lost season.
“I want to set myself up for the summer,” Trotz said. “We will look at the free-agent market. We will look at adding pieces. There will be teams that are going to be up against it (the cap), so we want to take advantage of that.
“But I want to set it up beforehand.”
The Predators were the most aggressive team in free agency this past summer, adding big-ticket free agents Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei after making the playoffs in the spring. The moves, however, have not led to success.
One thing that's off the table for the Predators? Trading Stamkos, who has eight goals and 18 points in 32 games since joining the team on a four-year, $32 million contract on July 1.
“There’s no chance,” Trotz said of even considering moving Stamkos before the March 7 trade deadline. “I believe that you have to have good players that compete in this league. This league is too good. You need the veteran players to carry the way. They have to carry a good piece of the load so that your young guys can be slotted correctly and have success and grow.”
While shaping up as sellers ahead of the deadline, the Predators have just one pending unrestricted free agent on their roster in veteran Gustav Nyquist. The team has $77.3 million in salary currently committed to next year's salary cap, according to PuckPedia.