While the Caps spending routines will inevitably come up as we talk about hiring a next coach, likewise think about: Reirden had two more years remaining on his agreement. Capitals ownership will be paying for a new coachs contract, on top of paying Reirden not to coach for 2 years. Scott Arniel, Blake Forsythe and Scott Murray might stay, however their fate will be figured out by the brand-new coach– and brand-new coaches tend to bring in their own people.
Previous Nashville coach Peter Laviolette and former Vegas coach Gerard Gallant have Stanley Cup experience. One wild card: Former Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau, who coached the Capitals from 2007-2012.
Back-to-back early playoff exits were enough to make the Washington Capitals recognize that they had actually made a mistake.
In the two seasons because the group promoted top assistant Todd Reirden instead of offering Stanley Cup-winning coach Barry Trotz a raise, the Caps have actually been knocked out of the playoffs in the preliminary. On Sunday, the team fired Reirden days after losing their first-round playoff series to Trotzs New York Islanders in 5 video games, and moved towards employing their seventh coach because Alex Ovechkin got in the NHL.
Whom will they consider for that job? Where will Reirden land next? Were there any other concerns with Reirden in D.C.? And how much remorse do they have for letting Trotz leave? Lets dive in.
Was this relocation a surprise?
Emily Kaplan: The firing came just three days after the Capitals were eliminated from the playoffs, which hints that this was premeditated. There had been whispers for the previous couple of weeks that if Washington could not surpass the very first round, Reirden would be done. The fact that it was an embarrassing, five-game exit to the Barry Trotz-led Islanders sealed his fate.
It is odd to see a group pivot on a coach this quickly. Reirden had actually been on the task for just two seasons, and compiled a 89-46-16 record. Thats usually an excellent enough mark to stay, specifically after a pandemic-disrupted season. Whats more: The Caps were absolutely bullish on Reirden when they promoted him, following the ugly Trotz divorce. Reirden was the only prospect Caps management talked to in 2018. Gamers campaigned for Reirden to get the task, mentioning continuity with the system, and he had the M.O. as being strong with development.
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Heres maybe the biggest reason its surprising: Fair or not, the Capitals have a track record as being low-cost when it concerns coaches agreements. They invest to the cap on players, however attempt to conserve somewhere else– look no more than the Trotz circumstance. While the Caps spending habits will undoubtedly come up as we talk about employing a next coach, likewise think about: Reirden had two more years remaining on his contract. Capitals ownership will be paying for a new coachs contract, on top of paying Reirden not to coach for two years. Thats not irrelevant. Ownership and management clearly felt there was potential for the circumstance to spiral, offering them urgency to intervene.
Existed a specific short-term cause for the firing beyond losing so early in the playoffs?
Greg Wyshynski: According to Washington GM Brian MacLellan, the Capitals werent playing up to standards as early as Christmas 2019. “You could see the style of play start to weaken,” he stated. “I think we had a great culture here and its starting to slip. I believe we need to get a hold of it, get it back to where it was. Weve developed a habit of believing that we can play good when we need to play great, instead of developing excellent practices and the video games will take care of themselves.”
As soon as the Capitals struck the hub, those tendencies just became worse. MacLellan said the team lacked the structure of challengers like the Philadelphia Flyers and, yes, Trotzs Islanders. The second-best offending team in the NHL from the routine season was last in the postseason with a 1.57 expected objectives portion. The Islanders defense and the loss of center Nicklas Backstrom for a majority of the quarterfinals should have some credit, but the Capitals were toothless offensively in the tournament.
What are some other modifications that MacLellan will make this offseason?
Kaplan: First, theres the concern of the assistant coaches. Reid Cashman was already leaving after accepting the head-coaching job at Dartmouth. Scott Arniel, Blake Forsythe and Scott Murray may remain, but their fate will be determined by the new coach– and brand-new coaches tend to bring in their own people.
Goalie Braden Holtby is an unlimited free agent this summertime. MacLellan didnt rule out a Holtby return, however its quite apparent this cap-strapped team is intending on Ilya Samsonov (on an entry-level contract) starting next season. On Holtby, MacLellan said: “Its still to be chosen. I believe its going to be challenging. Often chances come up that you dont anticipate, and we d like to play it out and see what happens.”
MacLellan stated he feels great about the teams leading 7 forwards (Ovechkin, Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J. Oshie, Tom Wilson, Jakub Vrana and Lars Eller) however understands the blue line requires work. Reirden was continuously shuffling around protective sets this season searching for mixes that worked, and MacLellan obtained Brenden Dillon at the trade due date for short-term help. This is something the Caps might aim to repair through totally free firm, or through another trade.
And finally, heres your friendly suggestion that Ovechkin is an unlimited complimentary agent after the 2020-21 season. Management will discuss an extension with Ovechkin over the next couple of months. It will be fascinating to see if Ovechkin wants to do something long-lasting, or go year-by-year at this stage in his career as he chases after down Wayne Gretzkys goal-scoring record.
Provide me a rundown on the leading prospects for the task, and any under-the-radar alternatives that might be thought about.
Wyshynski: Trotz was in fact Ovechkins very first head coach with previous NHL head-coaching experience. Whoever changes Reirden ought to be his 2nd, if were to think what MacLellan has been stating. “Watching our performance in the bubble in Toronto, we need a skilled coach.
Previous Nashville coach Peter Laviolette and former Vegas coach Gerard Gallant have Stanley Cup experience. Theres previous Penguins and Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma, who has a Stanley Cup ring and has been an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings.
One wild card: Former Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau, who coached the Capitals from 2007-2012. Everybodys a bit older and smarter given that his stint in Washington– exists any possibility he could complete the circle with a return to D.C.? Backstrom, Ovechkin, John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov are the only gamers remaining on the roster from Boudreaus last team in Washington.
If the Capitals selected a coach without experience, theres Islanders associate coach Lane Lambert, who was in Washington and now on Long Island under Trotz.
Could previous Predators coach Peter Laviolette be the best guy to take over as the Capitals head coach? Jeff Vinnick/NHLI through Getty ImagesSo with the benefit of some hindsight, did the Capitals make a mistake in not bringing Trotz back?
Wyshynski: You could fill a 10-volume set of books with the quantity of revisionist history being authored about Trotz and his departure from the Capitals these days.
Please recall that within the contract Trotz negotiated with Washington, there was a clause for an automatic two-year alternative with just a $300,000 wage bump if the Capitals won the Stanley Cup. While Washington has always been prudent with its coaches, the money wasnt necessarily the problem: It was the five-year term that the Capitals balked at. To finish that term, Trotz would have been the head coach of the Capitals for nine overall years.
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( Oh, lets just be clear: The possibilities of him getting any extension with the Capitals werent precisely excellent when owner Ted Leonsis told NHL.com after he left: “I read something that stated we had a contract conflict, and you cant have a conflict if you have a contract. I comprehend that Barry did what remained in his best interest and his households benefit and I do not resent that.”).
Trotz has actually found more success with the Islanders than the Capitals found with his more youthful, more affordable replacement– never mind that the Islanders stand out at a design of hockey that Trotz might never encourage the Capitals to play, unless weve all forgotten what happened when Dale Hunter coached the group.
MacLellan depends on his players to provide input on decisions. The option to let Trotz walk was informed by that, and they influenced the decision to hire Reirden as an extension of the previous program, too. Its a demonstrable truth that the latter decision was the incorrect one. However provided the groups performance outside of four incredible rounds in 2018, and given Trotzs contractual demands, its a misguided opinion that letting Trotz walk was a mistake. The Capitals may have been in this very same position with Barry, just with 3 more years of contract to pay instead of the 2 they owe Reirden.
Whats next for Reirden?
Kaplan: Youll see Reirden resurface in the NHL– he was a well-respected assistant with both the Penguins and Capitals before taking this job– but it may be a while before he gets another opportunity as a head coach. Since hes being spent for the next two seasons by the Capitals, he can be picky about his next gig.
Look for him to take a task as a defense-focused assistant in the NHL, or possibly sign up with a college hockey staff (Reirden is a Bowling Green alumnus and began his coaching career as an assistant with the Falcons).
Grade the decision.
If management had conviction that Reirden was not the best person for this job, Im grateful they acted on it instead of letting it linger. The Capitals window with this core is still open, however not for too long.
It turns out he wasnt the head coach they needed him to be. In football terms, he was a coordinator promoted to head coach who then failed to take that next step. Perhaps he utilizes this experience and ends up being a great head coach in his next stop.
