Why Peter Laviolette had to go

The Washington Capitals and Peter Laviolette have decided to part ways. As mush as it’s hard to admit that the eighth winningest coach in NHL history couldn’t get the job done in Washington, it was a necessary move for both parties. Here’s why.

Tarik El Bashir of The Athletic (subscription required) noted that even though Ted Leonsis, Dick Patrick and Brian MacLellan were supposed to meet next week to discuss Laviolette’s future, his firing came at 5 p.m. Friday.

That’s because after the Caps lost to the Devils, Laviolette requested a morning meeting with GMBM. The two decided to part ways then. Pierre LeBrun, an NHL insider at The Athletic noted on twitter, “This is as much about the veteran coach wanting to hit the free agent market and bet on himself as it is the team also wanting a new voice behind the bench.”

Per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, Laviolette addressed Capitals players this morning prior to the exit interviews of breakdown day. GMBM said he hasn’t spoken with the assistant coaches yet, “we’ll do it over the new few days. Kind of have the same conversations and make decisions based on that.”

I’m not in the locker room so I don’t know how the players felt about Laviolette throughout the season. But fans wanted them to play more youth and the coach preferred to instead play veterans. That caused a division among the fan base.

Now the Caps can focus on getting younger. Laviolette won’t be a free agent coach long and soon the Caps will find someone. MacLellan will make that decision in the coming weeks with some names popping up as rumors and more names to come based on what happens in the playoffs.

This was inevitable and it was going to happen. Now it’s time to find a new bench boss and construct the roster the right way.