In a surprising development, the Washington Capitals will be looking for a new head coach less than a month after winning the Stanley Cup.
The Capitals announced Monday that Barry Trotz would resign as coach, an abrupt shift after the Stanley Cup win.
It had been previously thought that Trotz’s contract was expiring this summer, but according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, that was not the case. Trotz had a clause in his contract that would extend it for two years if he won the Stanley Cup, but the extension was well below market value and the two sides failed to agree on a new deal.
We had believed Trotz was a free agent this summer. That’s not correct. There was a two-year extension if he won the Cup in WASH. But, as coaches’ contracts have exploded in value, it was below the current market. Both sides tried to negotiate an extension….
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 18, 2018
But they could not come to terms. Trotz is now a free agent, as WASH will grant permission to other teams who want to talk to him. 3/3
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 18, 2018
Trotz had been optimistic about finding an agreement with Washington, but things obviously didn’t work out. It’s been heavily speculated that he’ll be a target of the New York Islanders, who currently have a vacancy.
