
The Nashville Predators are searching for a new general manager after Barry Trotz's retirement, with no clear front-runner yet. Majority owner Bill Haslam aims to fill the position by the NHL draft in June.
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Who will Nashville Predators hire as general manager? 5 candidates on the hot list
We're entering Month 4 of the Nashville Predators' search for a new general manager, and there's still no clear front-runner for the job.
While some names are starting to emerge as candidates, majority owner Bill Haslam has yet to name a successor for Barry Trotz, who announced his retirement on Feb. 2. The team is looking at both internal and external candidates and hopes to have someone in the role by the NHL draft in June.
"It's one of those jobs everyone's going to want," Haslam said on Feb. 2. "I think we're open to everything, we want the best person in this role."
Here are five likely candidates for the Predators' GM job.
Darren Yorke has been with Carolina since 2010, where he has served in numerous roles: Video scout, special assistant to the general manager, director of scouting, and director of player personnel. In 2020, he was named assistant general manager overseeing operations of the Hurricanes' AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves.
During his initial years in Carolina, the Hurricanes went through a rebuild, adding talent through the draft. In 2018-19, they made the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, coinciding with the hiring of coach Rod Brind'Amour. They have made the playoffs eight years straight and made it to the Eastern Conference final four times.
The article mentions five candidates on the hot list, although specific names are not provided in the excerpt.
Barry Trotz announced his retirement on February 2, citing personal reasons related to family.
The Predators hope to have a new general manager in place by the NHL draft in June.
The general manager position is highly sought after, and the new hire will play a crucial role in shaping the team's future.

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Brett Peterson has been an assistant general manager with the Florida Panthers since the 2020-21 season. At the time of his hire, he was the first Black assistant general manager in the NHL. He also was Team USA's general manager at the world championships the past three years.
While in Florida, Peterson has worked under GM Bill Zito, winning two Stanley Cups (2024, 2025) and one Presidents' Trophy (2022). Prior to his time with Florida, he was vice president of hockey at Wasserman Media Group. He also has been an NHLPA certified player agent since 2009.
Bill Scott has been an assistant general manager with the Edmonton Oilers since 2014. He also has been the general manager for the Bakersfield Condors, the Oilers' AHL affiliate, since 2015.
During Scott's time in Edmonton, the Oilers have made the playoffs seven times and twice made it to the Stanley Cup Final. According to the Oilers' website, Scott's duties as assistant GM include "player and staff contract negotiations, scheduling, salary arbitration, salary cap management and all day to day administrative duties." He also has served as Edmonton's liaison regarding the NHL-NHLPA's collective bargaining agreement.
Evan Gold has been in the Boston Bruins' front office since 2015, both as director of hockey operations and as an assistant general manager. He has earned a reputation as a salary cap wizard and also has worked in contract negotiations. He would be an example of "new blood" for the Predators. He's reportedly linked to the general manager job in Vancouver, but nothing has been finalized yet.
Ryan Martin is an assistant general manager with the New York Rangers and is also the general manager of the Rangers' AHL team, the Hartford Wolf Pack. He has worked in NHL front offices for 20 years, starting as the director of hockey administration for the Detroit Red Wings in 2005.
Martin has been with the Rangers since 2021-22 in an assistant role, where he has worked with the salary cap and scouting. He was reportedly a candidate for the Toronto Maple Leafs' GM job, but they hired John Chayka last week.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Who will Predators hire as general manager? 5 candidates to consider