Name: David Poile and the Predators need to start the rebuild now
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David Poile and the Predators need to start the rebuild now

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Mar 3, 2021Even after a stretch of four wins in five games, it was hard to get behind the idea that the had turned a corner.Three of those wins came against the slumping , whose general manager felt obligated to Tuesday. The other was against the . The Predators were hardly dominant.A 4-2 loss to the on Tuesday was a jolt back to reality. The Predators are going nowhere this season, and there is no reason to delay .If the Predators’ mediocre play this season is not enough to convince them of that, then the trio of injury updates they provided Tuesday should.Defenseman , injured blocking a shot Sunday, is out four to six weeks.Forward , who, coincidentally, was also injured by Laine on Sunday in a collision along the boards, is out two to four weeks.The Predators also added center , who had just returned from injury,to the NHL’s COVID-19 list. He will be isolated from the team for an undetermined amount of time.To make matters worse, goaltender did not finish the game after he and Hurricanes forward collided behind the net in the first period. Saros will be re-evaluated Wednesday.“It was a hit to the head,” Predators coach said. “We’ll have to see where it goes from there. There’s not much more to comment on it. What we all saw is what happened.Ellis, who has been far less effective than he was last season, and Johansen, who has one point at 5-on-5 in 14 games, have not done their jobs this season. But their absences do not make the Predators better.As a result of the injuries, the Predators pieced together a patchwork lineup Tuesday that included the debuting at forward as well as and on defense. They were outmatched by a well-oiled Hurricanes team that is operating on an entirely different level.“They’re one of the top teams in our division,” Predators forward said. “They don’t give you much. It’s a hard game out there. They play fast. They’re in-your-face. I think we could take a page out of their book. They’re hard to play against, and that’s what we take pride in as well.We were led to believe that the Predators were that type of team. That is clearly not the case. Teams that are hard to play against do not constantly show up late in games and spend most of their time chasing the opponent. (The Predators have held a lead for 172:14 this season, the by 50 minutes, )“I don’t know why that is,” Predators defenseman said. “It’s something that’s on us players to realize that the first period, you need to be ready when the puck drops.”On Tuesday morning, before the injury news was announced, Predators GM David Poile addressed the growing speculation about a during his .“I get it,” he said. “There’s nothing to hide here. Our team has had a great run highlighted by the Stanley Cup Final, but that was (four) years ago. We’ve been a good team the past two years, but not as good as we were at our peak, so there’s a little bit of decline. Obviously (at) the start of the season, we were perfect fodder for any conversation as to trades and a rebuild, and that’s going to continue until we either climb higher in the standings, or we actually make a trade.“I think this next stretch of games playing against Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay (is) really going to show us whether we’re one of the top teams in our division, whether we’re a playoff team or possibly that we’re not.”What more does Poile need to see? What reason is there to believe that the Predators will come out on the other side of their upcoming stretch against the Hurricanes, and in a better place?Predators record vs. 2021 opponentsThe playoffs are a near impossibility; gives the Predators a 7 percent chance of qualifying. A championship parade down Broadway is a distant dream. Now is the time to sell.Three Predators players — Ekholm and forwards and — are in the top 10 on The Athletic’s . Others, such as Cousins and forward , have value.For the betterment of the franchise, both today and in the future, must accept reality.It is over.(Photo of : Christopher Hanewinckel / USA Today)

Mar 3, 2021Even after a stretch of four wins in five games, it was hard to get behind the idea that the had turned a corner.Three of those wins came against the slumping , whose general manager felt obligated to Tuesday. The other was against the . The Predators were hardly dominant.A 4-2 loss to the on Tuesday was a jolt back to reality. The Predators are going nowhere this season, and there is no reason to delay .If the Predators’ mediocre play this season is not enough to convince them of that, then the trio of injury updates they provided Tuesday should.Defenseman , injured blocking a...

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Adam Vingan

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David Poile and the Predators need to start the rebuild now

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