New Predators GM Chris MacFarland references 'deep dive' on roster construct
· Yahoo Sports
For only the third time in franchise history, the Nashville Predators introduced a new general manager to lead hockey operations at Bridgestone Arena.
Four months after announcing the retirement of Barry Trotz, majority owner Bill Haslam, along with CEO Sean Henry, presented Chris MacFarland as president of hockey operations and GM on June 3.
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MacFarland was apparently Haslam's top target since perusing the list of applicants in February.
"When I looked (at the list), I said, 'Wow, if we could get Chris MacFarland, that would be terrific,' " Haslam said, adding that he "couldn't be more excited" to hire MacFarland for the role.
Naming MacFarland to both roles gives him a promotion from his former job as the Colorado Avalanche's general manager, a role he held since 2022. Since arriving in Colorado as assistant general manager in 2015, the Avalanche have won the Presidents' Trophy twice (2021, 2026); made the playoffs in nine straight seasons (2018-2026); made the Western Conference finals twice (2022, 2026); and won the Stanley Cup (2022).
With MacFarland at the helm, the Predators have someone with winning experience, confidence to turn around a struggling franchise, but also plenty of humility.
"A lot of the success in my career is due to the work of other people," an emotional MacFarland said. "I want to thank the work of the (Colorado) players, past and present . . . It's not lost on me."
Now, with Colorado in the rearview mirror, MacFarland's focus is on the Predators and what he can do to bring a championship to Nashville.
"We are going to build something special," he said. "Incrementally, small step by small step."
What GM Chris MacFarland has planned for Nashville Predators
MacFarland arrives in Nashville with a challenging task. The Predators have missed the playoffs two years in a row and are nowhere close to competing for the Stanley Cup, something he already has addressed with Haslam.
"(Haslam) and I got into the weeds on a lot of different things," MacFarland said. "Obviously there's work to do here, we're not where we want to be. There's a lot of good pieces here and there's a lot of draft capital, but ultimately the results happen on the ice. And we just want to put our team and players in the best position to be successful."
When MacFarland joined Colorado in 2015, the Avalanche already had forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog as an elite core. Then they added forward Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Cale Makar, which led them to the Stanley Cup.
MacFarland explained that the Predators are in a different position with their roster; it's clear they don't have the superstar talent that a MacKinnon or Makar can bring.
"The prospect pool (in Nashville) is very attractive, but prospects have to be developed," MacFarland said. "And they all come at different times. They need time to cook before they can become staples of the organization."
Perhaps the bigger issue is what MacFarland plans to do with the aging roster. The Predators have seven players over 30 years old, and four over 35, entering next season.
For now, MacFarland doesn't have plans to dismantle the roster, but referenced more than once a "deep dive" is coming.
"When we do a deep dive on the roster construct, there are legitimate things that we've got to be mindful of. Obviously, the age (of the roster) is potentially one of them," he said.
In Colorado, MacFarland had experience bringing along top rookie talent with experienced veterans. It's what helped the Avalanche win the Cup in 2022, buttressing elite talent like MacKinnon and Makar with role players like forwards Artturi Lehkonen and J.T. Compher.
In Nashville, he sees recent draft picks Brady Martin, Ryker Lee, Egor Surin and Cameron Reid as ones who could make an impact in the near future to help with the older roster.
"We have good players, but we also have a deep prospect pool," MacFarland said. "How we blend those things together will tell us where we're at."
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at [email protected]. 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: New GM Chris MacFarland credits Colorado, brings winning experience to Predators