Barry Trotz Is Getting Dangerously Close To Thin Ice

In 1998 the National Hockey League took a huge gamble by bringing hockey to the South, and the Nashville Predators were born.

In came a young coach we all know as Barry Trotz, who is the longest tenured coach to start with an expansion team.

Trotz has gradually lead the Predators higher and higher up the NHL ladder since he took over in 1998. However, over the last few seasons the Predators have seemed to stall out.

In a world that constantly goes by the "what have you done for me lately" model, Trotz may be in serious trouble if the Predators don't crack the code of getting past the first round of the playoffs.

The Predators have now made the playoffs four straight seasons but have yet to make it past the first round, including two disappointing series losses to the Sharks where the Predators were heavy favorites.

This season the Predators may be lucky to even make the playoffs. With only 25 games left in the season, the Predators sit five points out of the eighth and final playoff spot.

Under normal circumstances this season would be looked at as a success due to all of the players the Predators lost during the offseason.

The Predators lost goalie Chris Mason, left wing Alexander Radulov, and just recently got back Steve Sullivan to a long back injury.

Many other key players have also been lost over the past few seasons and yet the Predators keep clawing their way into contention.

After stalling in the first round for four straight seasons, and if the Predators miss the playoffs this season, Trotz's job will unfortunately be in serious jeopardy.

If Trotz does find a way to get this team back into the playoffs, his job will most likely be saved, but for how long?

The Predators will need to take the series to at least seven games if they want to consider this season any kind of a success. That may be tough to do since the most likely contender will either be the Sharks or the Red Wings yet again.

Eventually the Predators front office will no longer care about making the playoffs. That time may have already come.

One downfall to being a consistent playoff contender is that expectations are risen, and the front office expects you to progress, and the Predators simply have not progressed over the past few seasons.

The Predators organization has never known a different coach and has never known playoff success, so the front office may have no choice but to eventually experiment with another coach.

It is no longer acceptable to just the make the playoffs anymore for this organization. The players want more, the fans want more, the front office wants more, and Trotz wants more.

Until the Predators get past or at least compete in the first round, then a coaching change may be the only choice left for this organization.