Washington Capitals: Top 3 head coaching candidates
2. Gerard Gallant
Gerard Gallant was fired by the Vegas Golden Knights rather abruptly in January. He got the most out of an expansion team and helped take them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018, where the Capitals beat them in five games.
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After Reirden, the Washington Capitals would probably prefer to hire a veteran head coach. Gallant fits that bill perfectly. He got his start with the Columbus Blue Jackets, replacing Doug MacLean as their head coach in 2004. Gallant coached them until 2006, when he was fired after a slow start to the 2006-07 season.
Following his stint with the Blue Jackets, Gallant joined the New York Islanders as an assistant coach. He got back into the head coaching business with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL in 2009 and stayed with them until 2012, when the Montreal Canadiens hired him as an assistant coach. In 2014, he became the head coach of the Florida Panthers, where he coached until 2016, when he was relieved of his duties.
Gallant is the veteran voice the Capitals need to get back on track. The Capitals should be a little bit suspicious about his abrupt departure from the Golden Knights because something seems a little bit odd there. But assuming nothing went wrong there, Gallant would be a terrific hire for the Capitals.