A variety of reports indicate that the Washington Capitals are closing in on an agreement to make Barry Trotz their new head coach.
Nothing is done yet, but the CBC’s Elliotte Friedman reports that it’s close enough that Trotz told other interested teams that he is “no longer a candidate.” The Winnipeg Free Press’ Gary Lawless reports that an announcement could come early next week.
Lawless discusses a few more potential steps in the process:
Capitals owner Ted Leonsis is comfortable with Dick Patrick making the coaching hire. Patrick and Trotz have a long association #nhl
— gary lawless (@garylawless) May 24, 2014
Won't be surprised if former #nhljets coach Claude Noel is a candidate to be an assistant with Barry Trotz in Washington
— gary lawless (@garylawless) May 25, 2014
There are plenty of reasons to believe that Trotz and the Capitals might be close to making a deal. Reports surfaced that Trotz met with the team earlier this week and there was talk of Washington being one of his top destinations.
PHT also tackled the subject in this video:
If Trotz is indeed the guy in Washington, the storylines are intriguing.
- How will Trotz and Alex Ovechkin coexist? Is there any concern that Ovechkin might clash with Trotz in the same way that he experienced conflicts with Dale Hunter?
- Trotz moves from a team noted for its front office stability to one in turmoil. At the same time, the budget is likely to be higher. Will he be able to take a team deeper than the second round now that he’s in the East?
- Will Trotz’s defensive system mesh well with the roster in Washington? Will he establish a clear identity for Washington?
Again, it’s not settled yet, but it’s already interesting to ponder the possibilities. Stay tuned for more on this situation, whether updates come later on Saturday or some time in the next few days.