Report: Barry Trotz Interviews with Detroit

Barry Trotz
Photo Credit: SportsNet.ca

On Saturday night in Canada’s 32 Thoughts segment on Hockey Night, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reported that he believes that Barry Trotz has interviewed for the Red Wings head coaching vacancy.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1530736688443564032

The 59-year-old was shockingly relieved of his head coaching duties on May 9th, after the New York Islanders failed to reach the postseason. The General Manager of the New York Islanders, Lou Lamoriello, said that he believed that the team needed a new voice and the decision wasn’t an indictment of Trotz as a head coach. The Islanders would end by promoting longtime assistant coach Lane Lambert, who was a potential head coach candidate in Detroit due to his familiarity with the city and Steve Yzerman.

Trotz is widely regarded as one of the best head coaches in the NHL, as he can convey the importance of his on-ice systems to his teams which have led to playoff success in every market he’s been in, including a Stanley Cup in 2018 with the Washington Capitals.

Unsurprisingly, the Detroit Red Wings aren’t the only team interested in Trotz’s services. Friedman also reported that the Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, and Philadelphia Flyers have all interviewed Trotz over the past few weeks. The Dallas Stars are also believed to be interviewing soon.

In a radio interview a few weeks ago, Yzerman stated that he was looking for a demanding coach for his young core, and Trotz would certainly fit that description, especially in the defensive zone. The year before Trotz took over in New York, the Islanders gave up the most goals in the NHL with 296. In Trotz’s first season with the team, the Islanders gave up the least amount of goals in the entire NHL with 196, a 100-goal difference in one year.

Trotz would bring some much-needed expertise to a Red Wings team defense that struggled last year, giving up the second-most goals last season, only allowing seven fewer than the Montreal Canadiens. Yzerman values the Stanley Cup pedigree in the organization, and bringing in Barry Trotz would be another step closer to bringing the Red Wings back into playoff contention.


Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply

Tanner Jeannot of the Los Angeles Kings

Player Profile: Tanner Jeannot

Tanner Jeannot was born on May 29, 1997, in Estevan, Saskatchewan. The left-shooting forward played for three seasons with the Estevan Bruins from 2010-13. In his first two seasons with the U15 club, Jeannot scored 29 goals and collected 18 assists in 42 games and five goals and three assists in ten postseason games. Jeannot […]

Read More
Gage Goncalves of the Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay Lightning Make Significant Player Signings To Start July

As free agency has started in the National Hockey League, many teams, including the Tampa Bay Lightning, are making significant roster moves with free agents and player extensions. Just yesterday, July 1, for day one of free agency, the Lightning extended young 24-year-old Portuguese forward Gage Goncalves to a two-year contract worth $1.2 million a […]

Read More
William Moore 2025 Draft Profile

Breaking Down Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney’s Draft

Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney has been in his position for ten years now and has seen success with one Stanley Cup Finals appearance and one historic regular season. This past season was the first time since 2016 that the Bruins failed to make the playoffs. Sweeney has added pieces to the prior core […]

Read More