After adding Matt Duchene in free agency this summer, the Predators were expected to once again be one of the top teams in the Central Division. However, that hasn’t come to fruition as Nashville is tied for last in the division (though they’ve played the fewest games in the conference). Speaking with 104.5 The Zone (audio link), GM David Poile indicated that he’s “open for business” when it comes to the trade market and acknowledged that if things don’t turn around quickly, they could be sellers for the first time in quite a while. When asked about the possibility of making a coaching change, Poile stated that replacing Peter Laviolette is “not in my game plan right now”. Laviolette is in his sixth season with the team and they have made the playoffs in each year that he has been there.
More from the West:
- Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson has resumed skating in a non-contact jersey, notes Richard Morin of the Arizona Republic. He has been out since suffering a broken fibula in their fourth game of the season. GM John Chayka mentioned that there’s still no set timeline for his return but that he’s now more day-to-day than week-to-week. Meanwhile, goaltender Darcy Kuemper has resumed skating on his own but it’s still uncertain if he’ll be cleared to play by the All-Star break.
- While there isn’t an imminent trade on the horizon, Flames GM Brad Treliving told reporters, including Sportsnet’s Eric Francis, that he fully intends to use the cap room freed up by the Michael Frolik trade and went as far as to call that the return in the trade and not the fourth-round pick they received. Calgary didn’t retain any of his $4.3MM cap hit in the move which puts them with nearly $5MM in total cap room to work with between now and the deadline.
“After adding Matt Duchene in free agency this summer, the Predators were expected to once again be one of the top teams in the Central Division.”
Speak for yourself, I’ve tried to warn people for years that Duchene is a DOG.
He is good right before he needs a new contract. That’s it.
Hey, @forwhomjoshbelltolls, years ago, I tagged him as “Mr. Uncoachable.” He’s always been happy to be a “self-annointed team leader”, especially when it’s out of place. He may not equate to a cancer in the locker room, but he’s not far off. He has yet to make a team better. Look at how MacKinnon took off after Duchene left.
You can’t call Duchene a dog for only being in teams with pathetic goaltending numbers. That’s on you for making that claim, not him.
I sure can. I sure will.
His team’s consistently underachieve because they are counting on him to be a star and a leader and instead, he’s a dog.
The Avs got good when he left. The Sens got bad when he arrived. The Preds are stuck with a lemon.
The lone exception was last year with CBJ when he was playing for a contract.
Dog.
PS- Being on a team with bad goaltending makes it all the MORE important for him to EARN his big salaries by SCORING like a star since they are paying him like a star. Instead, he schleps through games like a middle six scrub…and a dog.
Adam Foote lost it on him in the Avs locker room years ago when he booked his April vacation in January.
DOG.
That’s not true but ok. You’re blaming him for things he can’t control. The GM’s build bad teams that he’s on and yet somehow it’s his fault? Had Pekka Rinne or Craig Anderson just had normal seasons when he arrived, your whole narrative just flies out the window.
Are you Matt Duchene’s mom or something?
He was brought in to be the Pred’s 1C but he couldn’t even beat out RyJo. So, now he’s hiding out in the 2C slot behind with 19 even strength points in 38 games. For $8 million a year.
Is Duchene earning that contract? The clear answer is no. Not even close.
For reference, Jared McCann has 20 even strength points in 38 games. I guess McCann is worth $8.1 million a year?
Meanwhile, did he go to Nashville because it was his hometown? Because it had the best role for him? The best wingers? Because it gave him the best chance to win?
No, he went because he’s a dope who thinks he’s a country music star AKA his focus is not on hockey.
Dog.
I don’t feel bad for Poile. He saw all the fleas. But, a few months in to that 7 year deal, he already regrets it. He got played by a dog.
I do feel bad (as always) for his teammates, who give it their all only to have him tank time and again.