Andrew Brunette takes leave of absence from Predators for family reasons

The Predators were hoping to have a resurgent season this year.

With several key offseason acquisitions including Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos, many around the league predicted the team would at least be a contender for a playoff position, if not a contender for the Central Division title.

However, things did not go that way. With just six games left on their schedule, the Predators are 27-41-8 good for 7th place in their division and 30th overall in the NHL.

The final nail in the coffin came last month when it was reported that Predators captain Roman Josi would be out for the remainder of the season.

The team has gone just 1-5-0 since Josi's departure. Now things are even worse for the team.

Today, head coach Andrew Brunette announced that he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team to tend to family matters.

Assistant coach Todd Richards will take over the position in his absence, but he did confirm that they are still consulting Brunette with regards to lineup decisions.

One player in particular who is in limbo is rookie Matthew Wood, who just signed his entry-level contract after finishing his NCAA career.

Wood is expected to make his NHL debut sometime before the end of the season.

Hopefully Brunette and his family are safe and doing well. We are wishing him the best and hoping that he does whatever he needs to to take care of himself and his loved ones.

As we have been reminded to frequently this season, most things in life are more important than hockey, and with the Predators eliminated from the playoffs, there is no reason for Brunette to not take care of himself.