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Trotz: Preds going through “adjustment period” with new players

Predators vs. Blues

The Predators lost their fifth game in eight tries Tuesday night, falling 3-0 to the Blues in St. Louis. And despite the fact six of those eight games came on the road, mostly against strong competition, some are starting to wonder if all the recent personnel moves have negatively affected Nashville’s renowned team chemistry.

Since Feb. 17, the Preds have added Hal Gill, Paul Gaustad, Andrei Kostitsyn and Alexander Radulov to the roster. Meanwhile, others have been shifted around to make room for the new additions.

But while coach Barry Trotz thinks there’s something to the chemistry theory, he also believes it’s better than the alternative.

“Our team was very, very young and we played a certain way and we had a pretty good chemistry before the trading deadline,” Trotz said, as per The Tennessean. “But we weren’t structured to having a chance to do anything in the playoffs. We needed to add some pieces and (general manager) David Poile and our ownership went out and found all those things that we needed.”

Trotz added: “When you have new players come in there is an adjustment period, and sometimes the adjustment period is good and things fall into place; other times it takes a little bit.”

The Preds are in Detroit tomorrow to play the Red Wings, a team they’re very likely to face in the first round. And with just five games left in the season, time’s running out to finalize everyone’s roles before their most important playoff appearance in franchise history.