Predators GM confirms Brunette will return as coach

Andrew Brunette will return as head coach of the Nashville Predators, general manager Barry Trotz confirmed Monday, according to NHL.com's Robby Stanley.

The Predators finished third last in the league this season with a 30-44-8 record. They reached the playoffs the prior campaign and made significant splashes in the offseason, signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei to multi-year contracts.

"(Brunette) is a good young coach," Trotz said, according to The Tennessean's Alex Daugherty. "He had a tough situation this year. But like a good young player, you have to stick with a good young coach."

The Predators hired Brunette before the 2023-24 campaign. He's 77-74-13 behind Nashville's bench.

"(Brunette) will make some adjustments, I'm sure, in terms of how we play," Trotz said. "Obviously, talking with the players and getting some of their input is always critical. I think the one thing that (Brunette) is very clear on, and I think it's clear around the league, is that you're in a partnership with your players.

"It's not a dictatorship. You're in a partnership. The partnership is that every coach has to make every player better, but the player has a responsibility to make himself better as well with the advice that he's gotten and grow his game within the framework of our game."

Brunette finished as runner-up in Jack Adams Trophy voting in 2022 after guiding the Florida Panthers to the Presidents' Trophy. He was replaced by Paul Maurice after the campaign.

Trotz believes firing Brunette was the easier path but retaining him is the best long-term decision.

"We could have done the easy thing and made a change and see if we get a bump," Trotz said, according to Lower Broad Hockey's Nick Kieser. "Andrew is going to work hard to find the solution."