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New York Islanders should make every effort to hire Barry Trotz

By Brad Berreman

LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 27: Capitals head coach Barry Trotz addresses the media during the NHL Stanley Cup Final Media Day on May 27, 2018 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 27: Capitals head coach Barry Trotz addresses the media during the NHL Stanley Cup Final Media Day on May 27, 2018 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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With a late firing limiting their pool of candidates, the New York Islanders have fallen backwards into making Barry Trotz their next coach.

Without a contract for next season, but with a Stanley Cup win, Barry Trotz seemed sure to be back as Washington Capitals coach. But there was not much concrete news in the 10 days or so since the Capitals won the Cup, and on Tuesday it was announced Trotz is stepping down.

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Stanley Cup win activated a two-year contract extension for Trotz. So he wasn’t a free agent, but the new deal would have still left Trotz underpaid at $1.8 million per year. So tearing up the deal and doing a new one with a higher annual salary seemed to be a dead-end, and Trotz decided to step away.

It’s rare, if not entirely unprecedented, for the reigning Stanley Cup-winning head coach to be available. Multiple teams will surely consider moving on from their current coach now that Trotz is available, but the only team with an opening as we speak is the New York Islanders.

Soon after taking over at the top of the Islanders organization, Lou Lamoriello relieved general manager Garth Snow and head coach Doug Weight of their duties. Lamoriello stepped into Snow’s duties, and now an elite head coach option has fallen right into his lap.

Having a head coach in place soon, no matter who it is, will surely be important as the Islanders try to re-sign free agent center John Tavares. Now, with Trotz available, the new head coaching hire could become a key selling point in Lamoriello’s ongoing attempt to court Tavares.

Related Story: 3 candidates to be next New York Islanders coach

Snow made a lot of mistakes, ranging from odd to purely unfathomable, as Islanders’ general manager. With Lamoriello in charge now, a move to try to hire Trotz carries substance and credibility.

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