Predators fire head coach Peter Laviolette as team’s struggles continue

Peter Laviolette had been head coach of the Nashville Predators, one of the more consistent teams in the NHL in recent seasons, since 2014.

The Nashville Predators have fired head coach Peter Laviolette just six days into the new year, the team announced Monday evening. Leaving alongside Laviolette is associate coach Kevin McCarthy, putting the Predators without a head coach heading into Tuesday’s game versus the Boston Bruins.

As of Monday evening, the Predators have yet to announce a head coach to replace Laviolette behind the benches in Nashville.

General manager David Poile had this to say on the firing of Laviolette in a press release to the media:

"Under the leadership of Peter and Kevin, our organization reached unprecedented heights – from our franchise-altering run to the Stanley Cup Final to a Presidents’ Trophy and our first two Central Division titles … Their passion for the game, ability to motivate a team and drive to be the best makes this a difficult decision."

This season, the Predators have wildly underperformed below expectations, sitting second-to-last in the Central Division with a 19-15-7 record and 45 points in 41 games. For a team as talented as Nashville, a below average season was not in the cards for this team, and Laviolette paid the price.

Nashville goaltenders Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros have combined for the NHL‘s third-worst save percentage of .889 this year, a surprising feat given their caliber as netminders. The Predators are a top-10 team in terms of offensive production this season, yet have been unable to put together a winning formula this year as the team has plummeted through the standings.

Nashville’s special teams also are a major problem this season, as their penalty kill is third-worst in the league at 74.05 percent and their power play remains in the league’s basement.

Laviolette had five and a half seasons as head coach of the Predators, taking them to the playoffs all five seasons with a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2016-17. Over the last two seasons under his watch, Nashville placed first in the Central Division with two 100-plus point seasons. He will end his career in Nashville with a 248-143-60 record.

The Predators had Laviolette under contract for the rest of this season and next, and will be liable for his $2.5 million contract unless he signs with another team before it expires.

Nashville now looks to find a head coach for the remainder of the season, as no interim head coach was named during Laviolette’s dismissal. Former San Jose Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer has stated he has not been in contact with Nashville about the vacant position.