After making big splashes by shipping out P.K. Subban and finally acquiring a stud centre with the signing of one of the biggest free-agents on the market in Matt Duchene, expectations were high once again heading into the season in the Music City.
But the Nashville Predators, who flamed out in the first round of last year’s playoffs, have failed to meet the elevated bar set by their flashy off-season so far and recapture the magic that got them to their first Stanley Cup Final in 2017.
Nashville has an 18-15-6 record through 39 games, and sits 11th in the Western Conference with 42 points.
The disappointing first-half has general manager David Poile getting impatient and he is actively looking to shake up the lineup, said Elliotte Friedman during Saturday’s Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada.
“There’s no question he’s started to bring up the phone lines to see what’s out there, and if things don’t change, the Predators could make some kind of roster change pretty quickly,” Friedman said.
While Poile may be eyeing adjustments to the team’s configuration, he is not yet looking to make changes behind the bench.
He said in a radio interview earlier this week that coach Peter Laviolette’s job is safe.
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