Updated:
Barry Trotz resigned from Caps, and is available to speak with NYI now.
Dave Tippett signed as an advisor with one of Dolan's shell companies in Seattle.
No idea what Lamoriello will do about anything or what Tavares will do besides this year long saga ending in thirteen days.
Either the team will have Tavares or the cap space to build around some good players, either direction is a long-term risk.
I put zero stock in gossip/rumors/negotiations being anything one way or another.
Something good will come out of this either way.
My guess is if there was an available coach Lamoriello wanted to hire, it would have happened by now.
I'm hoping Lamoriello is holding out for Barry Trotz, given gm, Brian MacLellan's very luke warm support. Clearly the Caps winning the cup put the gm in a tough spot, and it would be a pr nightmare for him to go, but clearly that was MacLellan's plan A or he would have been re-signed long ago.
For myself, I want a veteran coach for the first time since Al Arbour. It's time the players see a veteran coach behind the bench who knows how to win at this level, get the most out of his roster, and can create a culture where this team is not playing to hang on in the third period.
Maybe it's a mistake, and some young coach is the next great coach, but it's time to change the look behind that bench with some veteran experience. Before some of these young players leave I want them to work with an experienced NHL head coach, who can maybe take their game where an AHL coach can't because they are not experienced either, and I'm not talking Ted Nolan.
Don't want the former Rangers coach and not just because he answered to the goalie, and lost his job because he finally called him out. Did not like how he finished in Vancouver or Montreal. Flip flopping on Tippett because of recent winning/being a west-coast coach like Quenneville. Would not mind Sutter from Kings, not Brent.
Want zero part of Scott Stevens as a head coach with no experience, we just saw that with Weight.
I watched Weight press conference after season again, feel bad have been so tough on him, he was really beaten/broken, and owner saying they failed hurt. Like Weight, good hockey man, just not the right job for him given career experience.
I want Halak back, don't see a better goalie available, put zero stock in outsiders blaming the goaltending, they just looked at numbers, not the shots against or all the 40 plus shot games he won or held them in. With 14 days left it would hardly be a shock to see Halak land elsewhere, and help a team win.
Without Halak this team could be drafting first Friday, they gave up shots against that go back over 20 years.
Devon Toews is 24, and where Pulock was last summer, he needs to be in the NHL, and too good to let go without a strong return.
RFA will answer some questions when we see who's qualified in seven days.
The upcoming schedule with two home arena's will produce some new very unpleasant challenges. Knowing how Nassau operates surprised they are not complaining about only one preseason game given that old six game agreement called for two preseason games, all the extra regular season games does not resonate with them.
And don't expect a friendly Coliseum landlord knowing the re-branded BSE is just a temporary home.
Prospect camp begins with what could be a lot of lame-duck coaches next week.
Ok, so a very full couple of weeks coming.
On a positive note (not 100 percent) but expect to be available for NHL draft both days.
7/1 will likely not be available until the early afternoon, but does not start until noon, it's not a deep UFA class with many Islanders at top of defense in Hickey/deHaan right now.
