Barry Trotz: What’s next for the Stanley Cup winning head coach?

After four seasons with the Washington Capitals and a Stanley Cup, Barry Trotz has announced that he is stepping down as coach. Which team will he end up with?

Despite winning the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals, Barry Trotz will not be coaching the team next season. His contract with the Capitals had a clause that said that if they won the Stanley Cup, a two-year extension would kick in with a $300 000 increase in his salary. If he didn’t want these terms, the only other option was to step down. Trotz elected to do the latter.

He is 5th all-time in wins among coaches (762), he has a Jack Adams Award for NHL’s top coach, and two Presidents Trophies. Now that Trotz has a Stanley Cup, he will go down as one of the greatest coaches in hockey history so it’s safe to say that any team will be better with him on it. So which teams have a shot at this Hall of Famer coach?

New York Islanders

This team is the most likely solely because they are the only current team with a head coach vacancy. They underwent some staff changes, first, they removed their coach Doug Weight and their general manager Garth Snow from their respective positions. Next, they hired Lou Lamoriello from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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The Islanders’ top priority is resigning John Tavares. After signing a big name like Lamoriello, an addition of Barry Trotz will show their captain that they are the real deal and are taking this team seriously.

However, it’s fair to question if Trotz would be willing to coach them if their captain isn’t signed long-term.

Edmonton Oilers

This one is unlikely and yet, it makes sense. Todd McLellan is in the hot seat in Edmonton and Peter Chiarelli isn’t known for making calculated decisions.

The Oilers need discipline in their locker room and who better to implement it than Trotz? They currently have the players running the team (read here for more details) which has never been a good thing. If the Oilers want real, permanent change, they are going to have to hire Barry Trotz.

Ottawa Senators

Guy Boucher is not the fault in Ottawa, but with all the drama going around, it will be nice to see a fresh face behind the bench. The team has undergone many big changes and they are scattered right now. They will need a man with an established career of success to set their focus back on track. And Trotz can be that guy.

“He changed this team with family mentality,” said Tom Wilson. “He did a really good job of creating that team atmosphere. You look three or four years back, there was a lot of skill on this team, but there wasn’t really that team mentality and you can never take that away from what that did for this locker room.” –via USA Today

This kind of team attitude is what Ottawa desperately needs right now and Barry Trotz is just the coach to bring it back.

Next: John Carlson likely to test free agency

Many GMs must be beating themselves up for not waiting before hiring a new coach. The Calgary Flames, New York Rangers, and Dallas Stars come to mind for teams who could have used a man like Barry behind their bench. He is a smart and respected man in the hockey community and will improve any team he joins.

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