Scratch Nashville off the list of potential landing spots for Barry Trotz. The Predators announced on Thursday that they have signed head coach John Hynes to a two-year extension.
“I think he’s done a fantastic job — and his staff,†said Predators general manager David Poile. “I am totally comfortable with John and his coaching staff to lead us to bigger and belter things moving forward.â€
Hynes helped guide the Predators to a 45-30-7 record and their highest point total (97) since the 2018-19 NHL season. Nashville clinched the second Western Conference Wild card and were ultimately swept out of the First Round by the Colorado Avalanche.
[MORE:Â Predators are not close to contending for Stanley Cup]
Since replacing Peter Laviolette in Jan. 2020, Hynes has a 92-64-10 with the Predators but zero playoff series wins.
There weren’t many expectations that Poile would make a change at head coach considering the success the Predators had during the regular season. The team is in what the GM described as a “competitive transition,†and the 2022-23 roster will depend on what happens with pending unrestricted free agent Filip Forsberg this summer.
Forsberg and Poile have both said they’d like to work out an extension for the 42-goal man, but it’ll be down to what the term and dollar amount each side want and if there’s a meeting place in the middle.
“Signing Forsberg does one thing,†Poile said during a February radio appearance. “Not signing Forsberg probably takes us in a different direction.â€
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.
Predators sign head coach John Hynes to two-year extension originally appeared on NBCSports.com
