Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello fires head coach Barry Trotz after back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances
Shocking news out of Long Island as New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello has fired head coach Barry Trotz on Monday. The decision is a strange one, considering that just last year, the Isles went all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, just as they did just one year prior in the bubble.
The Islanders, of course, missed the playoffs this season, but that was hardly due to the coaching staff. The Isles dealt with injuries to many key players throughout the year, with Brock Nelson, Matthew Barzal, Kyle Palmieri, Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield all missing significant time. Granted, you have to find ways to win games, but when your GM is out there trading away guys like Devon Toews and bringing in a 37-year-old Zach Parise and a 44-year-old Zdeno Chara, it's certainly not easy to keep up with the competition, most of whom are getting younger, faster and more skilled by the minute.
Not only has Trotz been deep in the playoffs in 2 of the last 3 seasons, but he also won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018. I can't imagine that Trotz will be out of work for very long. This one is a head-scratcher from Lamoriello.
I can't imagine that there are any coaches available on the open market that are an improvement over a guy like Barry Trotz. I'd imagine that Lamoriello goes after one of John Tortorella or Mike Babcock, with whom he has a previous relationship from their time together in Toronto. Neither would be an improvement over Trotz.
| POLL | ||
MAI 9 | 263 ANSWERS Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello fires head coach Barry Trotz after back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances Where will Trotz end up this summer? | ||
| Montreal | 44 | 16.7 % |
| Philadelphia | 62 | 23.6 % |
| Detroit | 50 | 19 % |
| Other | 107 | 40.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
