It’s been two months since the Nashville Predators commenced their search for a new general manager and some names are starting to emerge as candidates.

Following Barry Trotz’s retirement announcement on Feb. 2, majority owner Bill Haslam said the team is looking at both internal and external candidates and hopes to have someone in the role by the NHL draft in June.

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“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.”

Who are the Predators considering for the role? Here’s the latest rumors on the general manager search.

Predators asked permission to speak with Toronto’s Brandon Pridham

According to a March 31 report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Predators sought permission to speak to Toronto assistant general manager Brandon Pridham.

Pridham, 52, has been an assistant with Toronto since 2014. The Maple Leafs have made the playoffs nine times while he’s been on board, but have only made it past the first round twice (2023, 2025). On March 31, Pridham was promoted to co-GM along with Ryan Hardy after the Maple Leafs fired Brad Treliving.

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Pridham is a respected name around the league. His approach blends “new school” with “old school,” plus he has a knack for salary cap wrangling. The big question is if Nashville can convince him to leave the Maple Leafs – he’s from the Toronto area and might soon be offered the full-time role.

Former Oilers’ GM Peter Chiarelli on Predators’ list

Another report from Friedman on March 27 said that former St. Louis VP of hockey operations Peter Chiarelli is on Nashville’s list.

Chiarelli has been with the Blues since 2019, first as a senior advisor, then was elevated to vice president of hockey operations in 2021. The Blues announced on March 27 that he was leaving the organization to seek other opportunities.

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Chiarelli, 61, was named general manager for the Boston Bruins in 2006, then oversaw the Bruins’ Stanley Cup championship in 2011. The Bruins moved on from Chiarelli in 2015, after which he became general manager for the Edmonton Oilers. He was with the Oilers until he was fired in January 2019. He joined the Blues the following season.

On Nashville’s radar: Florida’s Brett Peterson, Edmonton’s Bill Scott

Multiple reports, including those by Friedman and Frank Seravalli, mention assistant general managers Brett Peterson and Bill Scott.

Peterson, 44, 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 has also been Team USA’s general manager at the World Championships for the last three years.

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Scott, 45, has been an assistant general manager with the Edmonton Oilers since 2014. He’s also been the general manager for the Bakersfield Condors, the Oilers’ AHL affiliate, since 2015.

Both are seen as “up-and-coming” executives with fresh ideas and a modern approach to analytics.

Former Montreal GM Marc Bergevin

One of the bigger names on the market is former Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, who is now an assistant with Buffalo. On March 19, Friedman reported that the Predators have spoken to Bergevin about the job.

Bergevin, 60, had a nine-year tenure with Montreal (2012-2021), during which the Canadiens made the playoffs six times. That included a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020-21, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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A Montreal native, Bergevin twice finished second in voting for general manager of the year (2013-14; 2020-21). He also played a role in one of the biggest trades in Predators history, sending P.K. Subban to the Predators in exchange for Shea Weber in June 2016.

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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: Nashville Predators GM search, latest rumors, candidates, what to know