Speculation: Who should be the new head coach of the Washington Capitals?

[noptov]

Not a fan of Trotz but its whatever. My list was short with Laviolette by far at the top.

Who knows...maybe he'll turn out great and the team will respond to him. Sure seems like thats the direction we are leaning at this point.

Same. I don't know if Trotz is willing/able to change his offensive systems to match the team. But hey, if he can somehow sort of the mess on defense, the Caps will be set for another series of first round exits.

 

[BobRouse]

Same. I don't know if Trotz is willing/able to change his offensive systems to match the team. But hey, if he can somehow sort of the mess on defense, the Caps will be set for another series of first round exits.

His quotes in regards to the questions RE: his "style" of play were encouraging and he seems far far less stubborn than Oates.

The D will be fixed when we get a couple more legit NHL vet Dmen. I think thats been a personnel issue for some time now not a system issue (altho the "system" under Oates made every one suck a few notches more than usual)

 

[Chokingdogs]

got this off another bored...

pro hockey talk is reporting the canucks are looking at trotz and john "the cake baker" stevens. also, kesler likely gone prior to, or at draft.

 

[BobRouse]

got this off another bored...

pro hockey talk is reporting the canucks are looking at trotz and john "the cake baker" stevens. also, kesler likely gone prior to, or at draft.

Not a fan of Stevens. He played so very conservative and loved the prevent defense once his team got any sort of lead.

Trotz's playoff record has me concerned.

There won't be a perfect coach and we will just have to learn to live with it and hope the team responds.

While it can always get worse it seems highly unlikely it can get worse from Oates.

 

[Langway]

FWIW:

@ThePredatorial: Source says to expect an announcement from Barry Trotz on his new job in the next 48 hours.

 

[LifetimeUFA]

FWIW:

@ThePredatorial: Source says to expect an announcement from Barry Trotz on his new job in the next 48 hours.

If he is in fact coming here, its safe to say the GM is already picked right?

 

[ForzaItalia]

If he is in fact coming here, its safe to say the GM is already picked right?

Shero.

 

[LifetimeUFA]

Id rather have Sweeney but Im fine with a Shero/ Trotz combo, I really just want to get this stuff over with already

 

[caps4cup]

Shero.

Fact or opinion?

 

[JenniferH]

At this point, it looks like it could be Shero, Sweeney or Fenton, but Trotz definitely looks like he's our guy. Considering he's made it clear that he intends to design a system to the roster he has and not stick with a system JUST BECAUSE, plus he has experience, I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

[Liberati0n*]

I bet he goes to Vancouver.

And everyone here freaks the **** out. Not that they're wrong...or right.

Edit: P.S. The Predatorial is an awesome name for a news outlet

 

[ForzaItalia]

Fact or opinion?

Opinion, if indeed Trotz comes here before the GM.

 

[Langway]

I bet he goes to Vancouver.

And everyone here freaks the **** out. Not that they're wrong...or right.

Unless Linden jumped the process and interviewed Trotz himself or Trotz has all but been waiting for them otherwise I don't think it's them. Florida seems like the other possibility.

If Washington doesn't land Trotz it'll be concerning on two fronts. For one, to me he's the best option and fit. He's also the only coach to be linked to them so far. The initial leeway in not ruling out hiring a coach first and apparently interviewing him prior to a GM being added suggests how highly they value him. If that interest isn't mutual what does it say about both how they went about the process of getting a GM in place to further their credibility/decisiveness and how they sold the job/destination overall? It kind of has to be Washington if this report is true. No one else has been as strongly linked to him, at least when it comes media reports. Not that that's everything but they seem to have more staked on him based on what's out there.

Even if ownership's decision-making is faulty IMO you've at least got to want them to be able to land the people they want. Washington as a leftover destination would be bad news.

 

[g00n]

Unless Linden jumped the process and interviewed Trotz himself or Trotz has all but been waiting for them otherwise I don't think it's them. Florida seems like the other possibility.

If Washington doesn't land Trotz it'll be concerning on two fronts. For one, to me he's the best option and fit. He's also the only coach to be linked to them so far. The initial leeway in not ruling out hiring a coach first and apparently interviewing him prior to a GM being added suggests how highly they value him. If that interest isn't mutual what does it say about both how they went about the process of getting a GM in place to further their credibility/decisiveness and how they sold the job/destination overall? It kind of has to be Washington if this report is true. No one else has been as strongly linked to him, at least when it comes media reports. Not that that's everything but they seem to have more staked on him based on what's out there.

Even if ownership's decision-making is faulty IMO you've at least got to want them to be able to land the people they want. Washington as a leftover destination would be bad news.

Since it's the Caps you can always expect a curveball, but...

With GMGM gone DP is probably the main hockey mind in the organization and we know he likes the Familiar when it comes to his generals (via hiring from within, former coworkers or employees, former Caps, etc). It would be totally in character and fit their presser statements to have Trotz in mind as a coach that would be taken before any GM.


But I don't know if they make that exception for anyone else. The Caps were among the first if not THE first to reach out to Trotz when he got canned. Meeting this week just before an announcement suggests late stage negotiations or heavy interest. They may have put a lot of eggs in this basket quite some time ago...maybe even before the season ended.

If they go with Trotz and no Gretzky as Prez, it suggests the 2 week review at the end of the season was more about GMGM instead of Oates.

 

[Devil Dancer]

If they go with Trotz and no Gretzky as Prez, it suggests the 2 week review at the end of the season was more about GMGM instead of Oates.

That's not much of a surprise, though. Everyone in the world, except for Oates, knew Oates had to go.

 

[Carlzner]

If he is in fact coming here, its safe to say the GM is already picked right?

It's safe to say that we're three steps behind everyone else.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Trotz/Shero is the least bold combination they could hire. Two candidates that would be hired purely on face value without digging any deeper. Pretty much the definition of playing it safe in this scenario.

I frankly disagree. "digging deeper" got them Bruce Cassidy. "Digging deeper" means to avoid the obvious move....and many times, you outsmart yourself.

Ted and Dick need to make the obvious moves here. When was the last time the Caps did that? Decades? How has that worked out for them?

Shero knows how to shape teams. He's won a Cup, he's not afraid to make bold moves, and he understands a team chemistry built around superstars. After hearing things out of Pittsburgh the last week or so, it seems he was the fall guy for some of ownerships mistakes.

Trotz is an NHL lifer that would bring a lot of respect to the dressing room. If that's not needed right now, I don't know what is.

 

[caley]

Gary Lawless (Jets beat writer) just tweeted

Hearing more and more Barry Trotz to Washington is a done deal. #nhl

 

[Blades of Steel]

Gary Lawless (Jets beat writer) just tweeted

 

[Brian23]

So if it is Tortz, pretty much gotta mean Shero or Fenton is coming with him right? I could see Shero being behind him, he may be taking longer to get contract stuff situated as he hasn't been out of the job for as long as Tortz.

 

[Burakovsky95*]

I like

 

[Canucks LB]

gary lawless ‏@garylawless 24m

Hearing more and more Barry Trotz to Washington is a done deal. #nhl

 

[Brian23]

I'm still just curious if this is a good thing. He had a great stretch of his team in the play offs but just how poor were the teams he was working with?

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

I frankly disagree. "digging deeper" got them Bruce Cassidy. "Digging deeper" means to avoid the obvious move....and many times, you outsmart yourself.

Ted and Dick need to make the obvious moves here. When was the last time the Caps did that? Decades? How has that worked out for them?

Shero knows how to shape teams. He's won a Cup, he's not afraid to make bold moves, and he understands a team chemistry built around superstars. After hearing things out of Pittsburgh the last week or so, it seems he was the fall guy for some of ownerships mistakes.

Trotz is an NHL lifer that would bring a lot of respect to the dressing room. If that's not needed right now, I don't know what is.

Digging deeper didn't get them Bruce Cassidy. Being impressed by an interview got them Bruce Cassidy.

You haven't explained why Shero/Trotz is a bold move. It's not. OMGZ, CUP!! gets them Ray Shero, not any real analysis of his philosophies or vision on how to build a team.

 

[Brian23]

RT @Real_ESPNLeBrun nothing completed at this point but hearing that talks intensifying between Washington Capitals and Barry Trotz

So seems like this is actually a thing.