Barry Trotz has fallen right into the Detroit Red Wings laps as their ideal next head coach

The Detroit Red Wings now have an easy No. 1 candidate to be their next coach, as Barry Trotz is available.

In true NHL fashion, after missing the playoffs for the first time in four seasons behind the bench amid injuries and COVID-19 absences, Barry Trotz was fired as New York Islanders head coach on Monday morning. It’s worth mentioning Trotz led the Islanders to the Eastern Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons. He had one year left on his contract.

Trotz will now be a top candidate for any other opening around the league. But Darren Dreger of TSN has reported the 59-year-old may have an interest in a management role.

The first head coach in Nashville Predators history, Trotz spent 15 seasons there before moving on to the Washington Capitals. In Washington, he won at least one playoff round in each of four seasons, capped by the Capitals winning the Stanley Cup in 2018 before a contract dispute led to his departure. He landed as the Islanders’ new coach days later.

Trotz is third all-time in NHL history with 914 wins, and he’s a two-time Jack Adams Award winner as the league’s best coach.

After seven seasons, the last six of which not making the playoffs and generally closer to the worst record in the league than playoff contention, the Detroit Red Wings finally relieved head coach Jeff Blashill of his duties after their 2021-22 campaign was completed.

Franchise legend Steve Yzerman came back to the Red Wings as general manager in 2019. He gave Blashill the benefit of some doubt as he took on the task of filling the roster with better talent. Three seasons was more than enough leash for Blashill, even under the unique circumstances COVID-19 brought. Yzerman did say he felt like the team regressed this season.

Trotz will be unemployed exactly how long he wants to be. Over his four seasons the Islanders allowed the second-fewest goals per game in the NHL (2.56), while the Red Wings have allowed the most goals per game in that span (3.49).

The biggest question is if Trotz would entertain taking the Red Wings’ job, on the assumption he’ll have multiple options and some of those teams will be closer to winning at a high level.

But Yzerman should make the call to Trotz and/or his agent if he hasn’t already, as the No. 1 candidate to be Detroit’s new coach has landed right in his lap. Monday was also Yzerman’s 57th birthday, and the Islanders gave him the gift of a place to really start (or maybe finish) the search to replace Blashill.