Nashville Predators will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014
After 8 consecutive years of making the playoffs, the streak is over
The Nashville Predators didn't have a game last night. In fact, they don't play again until Thursday night. However, they were eliminated from the playoffs last night as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild. With just two games remaining, the Predators can only earn 4 points. Unfortunately, they currently sit 5 points behind the Jets.
That means the Predators 8-year playoff streak has ended. The last time the team missed the playoffs was the 2013-14 season. That was the second year in a row the team had missed the playoffs. It was enough to bring about the firing of the head coach of the team, Barry Trotz.
What's interesting about Barry Trotz being fired the last time the team failed to make the playoffs is that now, 8 years later, Barry Trotz is set to take over as the general manager of the team.
Despite missing the playoffs, there's a lot to be excited about. First and foremost, outgoing General Manager David Poile moved a lot of veteran players and contracts out at the trade deadline. One example is Nino Niederreiter, who was sent to the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets added Niederreiter in hopes of making the playoffs. Interestingly, the Jets were only able to make the final Wild Card spot. Their stiffest competition for that spot was the Nashville Predators.
And this wasn't just the Nashville Predators minus Nino Niederreiter, but the Nashville Predators without Mikael Granlund, Tanner Jeannot, Mattias Ekholm, Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, Alex Carrier…the list goes on. In the face of overwhelming change and a plethora of injuries, the Predators roster of Juuse Saros, AHLers, rising stars, and an actual college student kept the season meaningful all the way until the final two games.
If nothing else, this should give fans a lot of hope for the future of the team. The long offseason will give injuries a chance to heal and Barry Trotz will have time to evaluate his team and make decisions about who will stay and who will go. Of course, he can also look into options for who he can add to the team to complement what's already there.
All in all, you can view the season as an overall success because of the desirable results: off-ice, the team finally made changes it had been unwilling to make in the past. And, on-ice, the team played exciting hockey right down to the final buzzer. It wasn't enough for the playoffs, but it should mean that the team comes out swinging next season.
-featured image via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports-
