The Capitals have parted ways with assistant coach Kirk Muller. General manager Chris Patrick announced yesterday in a statement that Muller will be leaving the coaching staff.  Muller, a former NHL forward for nineteen seasons and former coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, was hired to join Spencer Carberry’s coaching staff in the 2023 offseason. He oversaw the forwards and the powerplay.
Unfortunately, under Muller’s guidance, the Caps were not very good with the extra man. The team finished in the middle of the pack the first two years under Muller in powerplay efficiency before falling to eighth worst this past season. There are a lot of talented players on the Caps’ roster that should have made the Caps more potent on the powerplay. The unit did see an uptick in power play goals toward the end of the season.
Muller played in almost 1350 games as a player scored a 959 career points., was a six-time all-star, starting his career with the Devils. He also played for the Islanders, Florida, Toronto, Dallas, and Montreal—where he won the Stanley Cup in 1993. He served as the Devils captain from 1987 – 1991 and for the Canadians in 1994-95. After his playing days, Muller coached in juniors and the minor leagues before he was an assistant coach in Montreal, St. Louis, Calgary, and Washington. He took over as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes in June of 2021 and had a record of 80-80-27 over parts or three seasons.
Washington was one of the best powerplay teams in the NHL for over a decade with The Caps have yet to find a pass-first playmaker to fill the void. Since Nicklas Backstrom retired, the Capitals power play has been inconsistent. This past season, they went through long stretches where they came up empty with the extra man. Missing the playoffs by just one point shows how an ineffective power play can mean the difference between playing hockey in May or playing golf.
The Capitals will be looking for a player or two to add to the mix this summer to breathe life into their unreliable power play, but Muller will not get a chance to test out new combinations. A new assistant coach will be tasked with improving the powerplay and return the Caps back to the playoffs.
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