The 2022-23 NHL season will be the first in almost 40 years that Barry Trotz won’t be behind the bench of a team. After an abysmal 2021/2022 season with the New York Islanders, he was fired and did not further pursue another coaching job. Although, there have been some developments in his free agency.
Trotz ‘Following Everything’ During Time Away
NHL Rumour: According To Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Barry Trotz is ‘following everything’ as he takes time away from the NHL.
Barry Trotz ‘following everything’ as he awaits right time for an NHL return. In my latest, I caught up with the two-time Jack Adams Award winner:
via @TheAthletic https://t.co/TxVfGMzuEt
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 23, 2022
After the coaching carousel of the 2022 offseason, one coach was left surprisingly on the market was Barry Trotz. He had offers from several teams including his hometown Winnipeg Jets before turning down all of them to take some time off.
But he went radio silent after this, and there is now confirmation on what he has been doing. In an interview with Pierre LeBrun, he says he has been keeping tabs on the NHL. Looking back on it, this makes sense for someone who is looking to re-enter the league properly.
What This Means
Trotz just came off of a four year tenure with the Islanders. He took them from being a bonafide Stanley Cup contender to one of the worst teams in the league. It makes sense why he would want to really follow everything to see his best option for making a return. Although the best time for getting a coaching job in the NHL just passed, there will be teams who fire their coaches. In an interview after his firing, he stated that he wouldn’t mind taking a front office role. That may be another option for him. A coaching spot may not open up by the time he decides to get back into coaching.
