REPORT: UPDATE on Barry Trotz return to coaching - Teams are CALLING!
At the end of last season, the New York Islanders made the shocking decision to fire Barry Trotz after missing the playoffs. Trotz led the offensively lacking Islanders to back to back Eastern Conference Finals, coming just one game away from the finals.
Last season the Islanders were plagued with injuries and COVID, so they started off the season poorly, but in the end they rebounded slightly and finished one spot out of a Wild Card position.
Trotz spoke at the beginning of the season that something that is missing from his resume is an 'original 6' franchise and if he returned he would like it to be with one of those teams.
He had mentioned that he doesn't know if he would enjoy the pressure of coaching in Toronto or Montreal, and with the Red Wings and Bruins both getting new coaches this season, they leaves the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks.
A coach of Trotz' calibre, you wouldn't bring in to be part of a rebuild, so that would count Chicago out, but with the weapons that the Rangers possess, he could honestly be the perfect fit to take over in New York.
Here is what he had to say recently about returning to coaching:
I don't know yet, I'm deciding. There's a couple teams that reached out and I said I'm not there yet. I'm probably going to take the rest of the year off and see where I am. It's still a part of me but I'm going to continue to stay true to myself and my family right now.
Trotz currently sits 3rd all time in NHL coaching wins with a 914-670-60-168 record. He won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018 and is widely considered one of the best coaches to ever be behind the bench.
His first 15 years of coaching were with an expansion Nashville Predators team who's best forward was David Legwand, and despite this he will had a winning coaching record. This just tells you what this man is capable of doing with a team.
| POLL | ||
Will he return to coachign this season? | ||
| yes | 25 | 47.2 % |
| no | 28 | 52.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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