This was Dan Hinote’s response to my question about the areas he felt best suited to improve on the Nashville Predators. I had the opportunity to speak with him a day after his hiring was announced by the team. Hinote replaces Dan Muse, who was let go at the end of the season and hired during former Head Coach Peter Laviolette’s tenure with the team.
This is the first major coaching hire under new and current Head Coach John Hynes, and for many, this hire was a head-scratcher. Why? Well, after retiring from his career as a hockey player, Hinote was an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2010 to 2014, before stepping away from coaching for a while.