Barry Trotz reportedly rejected the richest coaching contract in NHL history this week
Veteran head coach Barry Trotz was expected to be the hottest commodity on the coaching market this summer after being terminated by New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello last month. Trotz is rumoured to have been in close contact with as many as 5-6 NHL teams about a coaching position within their organizations and has reportedly been through the interview process with multiple teams, the Philadelphia Flyers among them.
On Tuesday, news out of Philadelphia had the Flyers offering their head coaching gig to John Tortorella. Though the deal has not yet been finalized, it is believed that Tortorella will be the next bench boss in Philly. But what of Barry Trotz? Well, apparently the Flyers made him an offer first - a VERY lucrative one. According to a report from Anthony SanFilippo, the deal would have made Trotz the highest paid coach in NHL history. He declined it.
According to SanFilippo, the deal that the Flyers had actually offered Trotz was a multi-year pact worth in excess of $7 millions per season.
Trotz, a Stanley Cup winner with the Washington Capitals in 2018, has been in deep waters in three of four postseasons before ultimately missing the playoffs this year. There were reports that he had lost the room, which led to Lamoriello naming Lane Lambert as Trotz' successor.
Perhaps Trotz was not amenable to going through a rebuild at this stage in his coaching career. Maybe he just didn't see enough potential in the Flyers' roster to warrant taking a chance. Maybe he feels as though there is a better fit out there on a team who is a little closer to contention or maybe even a better offer out there, if you can believe that.
Whatever the reason he had for turning down such a monumental offer, we may never know. Then again, we may have a better idea of why Trotz passed up on this opportunity in Philly once he finally does put pen to paper with another club and the terms of the deal are released.
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