Monday morning saw a bombshell drop in the NHL as the New York Islanders announced the firing of head coach Barry Trotz. The shocking news is one the Montreal Canadiens should look at very seriously.
#Isles News: New York Islanders President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello announced today that Barry Trotz has been relieved of his duties as Head Coach.
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) May 9, 2022
A perfect world would see Trotz suddenly agreeing to assist Martin St. Louis behind the bench. This would add the Canadiens a wealth of experience: a two time Jack Adams Trophy winner (Washington and Islanders), a Stanley Cup winner (Washington) and possibly one of the most intelligent minds in hockey.
The Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings who are without a coach, and Trotz’s hometown Winnipeg Jets who still have the interim tag on Dave Lowry will certainly be teams looking into hiring the 59 year old coach.
Darren Dreger of TSN revealed shortly after the firing of Trotz from the Islanders that the coach might be considering a role in front office management.
Clubs with coaching vacancies or considering a change will have Trotz high on their radar. However, some believe Trotz also has interest in jumping into a management role. What is certain is that he will have options to be considered. https://t.co/rpOVo0Jocb
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 9, 2022
Once again, this is something that many teams will consider, given once again the experience that Trotz holds.
If this is indeed something that Trotz is considering, then it truly means that his coaching days might be over. That being said, he would definitely be an excellent addition to the Canadiens’ front office.
With Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton giving chances to the likes of Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis to further their careers, having Trotz brought in a similar role as Lecavalier could be something the newly unemployed veteran could look into. Having him stay at home with his family while he works as a Special Assistant to the General Manager is exactly what Lecavalier is doing from his home in Florida.
Let me get this straight…. Steve Nash is still coach of the Nets but Barry Trotz is OUT as Islanders head coach!?
— Evan Roberts (@EvanRobertsWFAN) May 9, 2022
Barry Trotz’s NHL coaching career began in 1998 when he was hired by the Nashville Predators as their first head coach in franchise history. In 23 seasons in the NHL with 1812 games behind the bench, Trotz amassed a 914-670-60 record with a .567 win percentage.
His 914 wins ranks third all time in NHL history. Joel Quenneville ranks second with 969 wins while Scotty Bowman still sits comfortably in first place with 1244 wins.
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