Washington Capitals: Barry Trotz era ends
By Ron Juckett
Unable to agree on an extension, the Washington Capitals and Barry Trots parted ways Monday afternoon. Thus ending the most successful coaching run in team history.
The Barry Trotz era for the Washington Capitals came to an abrupt end on Monday afternoon.
Trotz resigned his position and declined a two-year extension clause in his contract which would pay him a reported $1.8 million annually over the next two years. Instead, he wanted an extension of five years with compensation in the top five of NHL coaches. A quick back-of-the-envelope check says he wanted a deal worth $20-25 million.
The Caps said no and Trotz tendered his resignation. Washington accepted, freeing him to seek a new job without compensation from any new team. At the moment, only the New York Islanders have an open head coaching position, but this is a case where other teams may make changes.
The Caps will interview Associate Head Coach Todd Reirden for the position. Reirden would need to give a bad interview for the ages for him not to get the job.
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In four seasons in Washington, Trotz won the only Stanley Cup in the franchise’s history. The Caps won three Metropolitan Division titles and two President’s Trophy’s. Overall, his record was 328-205-89 giving him a .677 regular-season winning percentage
Under pressure to get past the second-round of the playoffs, Trotz and the Caps pushed past the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning to get into the Stanley Cup Final where they defeated the Vegas Golden Knights.
Yet, signs of a strained relationship between Trotz and Washington were under the surface this season. He coached this year without a definitive extension in place. Although there was the now public Cup-winner clause, it was too low. In Washington’s defense, it was negotiated four years ago before the recent boom in coaches’ salary.
Add Reirden’s promotion to second-in-command with a deal in place for 2018-19 and there was further friction. The Caps made clear they had other options, especially when they refused other teams requests to interview Reirden last summer.
Just days after the parade honoring their championship, the Caps got a cold slap back into reality. Whether Reirden has a deal in place before Friday’s NHL Draft is a mystery. If the interview goes well, expect things to fall into place fast.
There is never a right time to leave a successful job. For Barry Trotz, a huge payday awaits. The Washington Capitals will do fine. But, in another harsh reminder hockey is a business, it is tough to imagine both sides apart when the banner rises to the rafters in October.