I’d go after Gallant before Laviolette, but either would be better than Reirden.
I don't know how I feel about Gallant, exactly. What he did in Vegas and Florida was great, but then he got weirdly canned both times.
However, I don't think Lavi is the right guy. I used to for sure, when they were younger and had never won anything. But what Trotz did well was create the right culture by being a great person and motivator, and Lavi's a hardass. I'm not sure this group will respond well to that. I recall Orpik's 2018 Player's Tribune piece where he talked about coming to the Caps in part because all of Barry's former players loved him so much and played so hard for him.
And lest I be accused of changing my tune, I still think that Trotz isn't a great tactician and that TR was the idea/systems guy behind the Cup run. But I will admit to underestimating the motivational skills Barry brought. In retrospect, I guess the coaching sum was greater than its parts. I still think BT quit on his team, and I doubt he ever gets to the top again. And maybe Rierden figures it out or finds assistants that work better with his style, but clearly new leadership is needed in DC.