Who's the next coach of the Capitals?
With Barry Trotz stepping down as head coach of the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, everybody wants to know who the next bench boss will be.
It might be a very short list.
The Capitals associate coach Todd Reirden has emerged as the favorite to replace Barry Trotz as head coach.
Reirden, who turns 47 next week, is currently the team's associate coach.
He just completed his fourth season in Washington, and is responsible for the team's defensemen and power play according to his bio on the team's website.
When asked if Todd Reirden could be considered the leading candidate to replace Trotz, General Manager Brian MacLellan did nothing to dispel that belief.
"I think Todd's a good candidate for it," said the Capitals GM. "I'd like to do a formal interview with him to see if there's differences, or are we seeing things the same and if he's a possibility for the head coach. We've been grooming him to be a head coach, whether for us or for someone else. We'll see how the talk goes with him, and then we'll make a decision based on that. If it goes well, we'll pursue Todd. If it doesn't we'll open it up a bit."
It's pretty clear the Caps have their preference.
Promoting Reirden insures familiarity with returning players. Also, the Capitals have a shorter offseason than normal after winning the Stanley Cup.
The preseason is only three months away, so the clock is ticking for Washington to find its next head coach.
