It is the start of a new era in Nashville as the Nashville Predators welcomed new general manager Chris MacFarland to the city Wednesday. The former Colorado Avalanche general manager held an introductory press conference at Bridgestone Arena on his first day as general manager of the Predators.In Wednesday’s press conference, MacFarland talked about various things ranging from his vision for the Predators to the current coaching situation with head coach Andrew Brunette to his draft philosophy.Here are some of the biggest highlights from today’s press conference.Hours before Predators hired MacFarland, they requested to speak with him. In that meeting, Nashville Predators owner Bill Haslam and MacFarland spoke about what he foresees as his vision for the Preds.From MacFarland’s perspective, the opportunity to be the next general manager and president of hockey operations came down to one question. And MacFarland got the answer he wanted."Is the goal here to make the playoffs or make the Wild Card...or is the goal here to build a team that can compete and try to bring a Stanley Cup to Broadway? And he didn't hesitate. When he answered that [and said we want to win], that got me really excited,” MacFarland said of his conversation with Haslam. "We can't wait to become part of the community here... We want to build something here...that makes hockey in the blood of every young Tennessee fan."The Predators are looking to get back into the playoffs for the first time since the 2023-2024 season. But MacFarland has bigger aspirations and ambitions for Nashville than just sneaking into the playoff picture.One of the questions Predators fans have been asking since MacFarland was hired Tuesday afternoon is what the hiring means for Predators head coach Andrew Brunette.In the introductory press conference, MacFarland talked about his familiarity with Brunette, but he did not give an official indication one way or another whether there will be staffing changes made in the near future."I know Andrew Brunette a lot from the scouting circles of the past, I know he's a very good person... I'm going to call all [the coaches and scouts]...and get a feel for things before looking at any [potential changes],” MacFarland said.When he was in Colorado, MacFarland helped build one of the best rosters in the NHL around Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, notably with signing players like Brock Nelson and Brent Burns.In Wednesday’s press conference, though, MacFarland also stressed the importance of the draft in terms of the make up of a winning roster."The true franchise player is usually drafted. It's a challenge, but we will leave no stone unturned [when trying to acquire star players]. But we'll be ready to go if the opportunity presents itself,” MacFarland said.This year’s NHL Draft is a very important one for the Predators. Nashville has not exactly hit the jackpot with a lot of their draft picks throughout the franchise’s history. With MacFarland now at the helm, Predators fans will pay careful attention to the types of players MacFarland drafts and how those prospects develop.In Colorado, MacFarland helped build the Avalanche through various avenues of acquisition. The only question that remains to be seen is how he will build the roster in Nashville.Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram for the latest news.