After 15 seasons, Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz is reportedly not coming back for a 16th season. He is the only coach that Nashville has ever known. He became the coach in 1998 when Nashville joined the NHL as an expansion team. In his 15 years Nashville made the playoffs 7 times including a stretch from 2003-2004 to 2011-2012 where they made it 7 out of 8 years. In all his trips to the postseason though Nashville never made it past the second round. Many years the Preds seemed poised to make a deep playoff run but could not make it out of the first round. The one season they did win a playoff round, it came crashing down in the second round. 

Could he have done anything to save his job? Probably not. Nashville's problem is simple. The Predators can not score goals. The Preds are the only team in the NHL that can say they have never had someone score 40 or more goals. Like any expansion team they had to build through the draft. Nashville has only taken one forward in the last four years in the draft instead choosing to draft defensemen and one goaltender. Nashville is built around great defense and a star goaltender. When Pekka Rinne went down early and missed over 50 games this year Nashville was all but finished. They simply can not score enough goals to contend. Nashville averages 20th or worst most of the last few years scoring goals. When they don't have a star goaltender stopping more than they manage to score it makes for a bad year.

Nashville struggled with mediocrity all year. They stayed consistently around .500 win/loss all season long. A late season streak saw them win and finally get in a groove through the last 10 games which also saw a jump in scoring. That wasn't enough to get them into the playoffs - though - missing it for consecutive seasons now.

Trotz did well with what he had through his time with Nashville. With as much as his teams overachieved he should be picked up by another team very soon. With 15 seasons for Nashville and the being only coach they ever knew, Trotz leaves a legacy of turning Nashville into a town hockey can succeed. Many people counted Nashville out when they were announced as an expansion team. People thought no way a team in the South like that could make it. Trotz put out a product that the people of Tennessee wanted to come and see. All of Tennessee thanks you for what you've done for us Coach Trotz.