While most of the focus during Nashville Predators training camp will be on the players, no one faces more scrutiny entering the 2025-26 season than coach Andrew Brunette.

The Predators finished seventh in the Central Division in a disappointing second season under Brunette, with Nashville finishing with a 30-44-8 record. Trotz re-committed to Brunette at his end of season comments in May. Brunette needs to show he’s still the man for the job entering his third year.

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“(Brunette and I) have had a lot of discussions from the end of last season. I think the coaches are extremely prepared,” Trotz told reporters at Ford Ice Center Bellevue on Sept. 18.

With 60 players on the ice competing for the final 23-man roster ahead of the Oct. 9 opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Trotz tasked Brunette with adjusting his system and “adding tools to his toolbelt.”

So far, Trotz has seen exactly what he needs to see.

“(Brunette’s) had numerous conversations with the team’s leadership group. Those relationships are strong. And there’s some tweaks in our system that I think will hopefully pay dividends for us. Changing personnel, that’ll hopefully enhance that a little bit.”

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On the personnel changes, shipping out forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and adding forward Erik Haula and defensemen Nick Perbix and Nic Hague were one part of Trotz’s plan. The other was to see real growth in his young coach.

“I think (the coaches) are probably more prepared than they ever have been,” Trotz said.

Why Barry Trotz thinks Andrew Brunette is right for Predators’ job

Brunette’s coaching staff made one change over the summer. Former Chicago Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson was hired as assistant, replacing Todd Richards, a change that will mostly impact the defense.

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The real challenge for Brunette is improving the offense. Last year’s abysmal goal scoring rate of 2.59 goals per game (which ranked 31st in the NHL) contributed greatly to their record. Over the summer, Trotz said Brunette tweaked components of his offensive system, which “obviously didn’t work” last year according to winger Jonathan Marchessault.

While several players were unhappy with the team’s offense last year, it was Marchessault’s end of season comments that raised the most eyebrows. He encouraged the coaching staff to make some adjustments over the summer, especially since the majority of the forwards on the roster would return.

Apparently, Brunette listened.

“I know the players that put their rubber stamp on some of the exchanges,” Trotz said. “Not only did Andrew talk to the players, but he also listened. That’s a really important factor.”

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Trotz also mentioned that it will be paramount for the Predators to start hot this year. Last season’s 0-5 start put Nashville in a hole they were unable to climb out of. That puts even more pressure on Brunette to prepare his team to play their best hockey in October to avoid a repeat of last year.

“We’ve got to get off to a good start,” Trotz said. “You can never, you never make the playoffs in the first month, but you can miss them in the first month.”

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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: What Barry Trotz expects from Andrew Brunette as Predators open camp