One of the hottest free agents in the NHL right now is head coach Barry Trotz, who parted ways with the New York Islanders earlier this month. Trotz had already been linked to the Winnipeg Jets, and recently rumors emerged that he would interview for the Philadelphia Flyers job on Friday.
It doesn’t appear as though those rumors are true, though Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now tweets that Trotz will meet with Philadelphia brass “soon.” Notably, the Flyers weren’t the only teams to reach out, as Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reports that six to seven teams have already contacted the Trotz camp. Kypreos adds that teams believe the price tag will be in the $6M range, more than the $4M he was earning per year with the Islanders. Trotz had one year remaining on his deal when he was relieved of his duties.
Of course, the Flyers are also paying Alain Vigneault $5M/year through the 2023-24 season, meaning committing to Trotz as well would be an incredibly expensive proposition. When team chairman Dave Scott said that he was giving general manager Chuck Fletcher a “blank check” to fix the group, most expected that to mean spending big on free agent players; perhaps it will also mean on a head coach.
Trotz is one of many experienced bench bosses on the market and was something of a surprise addition after taking the Islanders to two consecutive conference finals before missing the playoffs this season. Since winning the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2017, he has generally been regarded as one of the most effective coaches in the league.
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