#1 Barry Trotz
Coming in at number one on our list is NHL coaching legend Barry Trotz who honestly should still be coaching this time. But that’s a debate for another day. This post and this slide will recognize what he did while he was in Washington.
Trotz was hired in 2014 along with Brian MacLellan at General Manager to help change the culture after Adam Oates was fired. His first season saw the Caps go 45-26-11 for 101 points. The two years he helped lead the Caps to the Presidents’ Trophy with the league’s best record.
He went 56-18-8 in 2015-16 for 120 points and 55-19-8 for 118 points in 2016-17. Both seasons resulted in second round exits to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Trotz had never been out of the second round of the playoffs and had a second round hurdle just like the Capitals themselves.
In the spring of 2018, Trotz and the Caps finally got over that hurdle. They went 49-26-7 for 105 points. He helped the Caps win 16 games that spring to lift the Stanley Cup over their heads. Then we all know what happened afterward. He didn’t get the contract he wanted and is now coaching the New York Islanders. They’re currently battling the Tampa Bay Lightning in the conference finals.
Those are our top 5 coaches of all-time. Do you agree with this list? Who did we miss? Let us know in the comments!