Caps hire GM and coach

[MarioLives]

Barry Trotz and Brian maclellan as GM

[mikey287]

Ted Leonsis says: "Need fresh set of eyes and a new voice" - Brian MacLellan has been with the club since 2000.

Shawn Simpson (who worked in the Caps front office for a few years in the early 2000's): "Shocking hiring of Brian MacLellan. I've never met a lazier/less passionate hockey man."

Word is that the Capitals did not even bother to contact Ray Shero.

...hey, at least we're not Caps fans...

[PensFanInDC]

Caps fans are kinda outraged by not hiring Shero. It's great. I think he would have been a good fit for them. The caps have a lot of good prospects already and just need a guy who can get it done come deadline day.

[MarioLives]

Ted Leonsis says: "Need fresh set of eyes and a new voice" - Brian MacLellan has been with the club since 2000.

Shawn Simpson (who worked in the Caps front office for a few years in the early 2000's): "Shocking hiring of Brian MacLellan. I've never met a lazier/less passionate hockey man."

Word is that the Capitals did not even bother to contact Ray Shero.

...hey, at least we're not Caps fans...

Right now we are not much better.......just glad they did not sign Shero.

[meow]

Caps can't get anything right.

[canaan]

Caps wanted a yes man GM. Caps got a guy familiar with the structure of things. Business as usual.

[npv708]

Caps can't get anything right.

I'd say they got this half-right. Trotz is definitely the best coaching candidate out there, so hiring him is not a bad thing. In my opinion he had the opposite problem of Bylsma, where he had a GM who gave him little to work with, even when they had the money to spend. Poile in Nashville is just terrible, so I'll be interested to see how he does with some firepower. If he can get the Caps playing a game like the Preds, but with scoring, they could actually be a decent team in the future.

[MRandall25]

Unless Ovie buys into Trotz hockey, I don't see this going too well

[mikey287]

Or Trotz will adapt his game to fit a little better with what the Capitals do...

I mean, remember John Tortorella with the 2004 Lightning, "safe is death" - with the Rangers and Canucks it became, essentially, "safe is life"

Obviously, I hope it's a total failure...but not all coaches have a "my way or highway" policy...some coaches adapt to what it is that they have...

[MRandall25]

But this is the 3rd coach the Caps have had since Bruce Boudreau. They (the personnel) appear incapable of adapting to a style that isn't all attack all the time and forget the defense.

[bhaw]

...some coaches adapt to what it is that they have...

They're allowed to do that?

[Dickie Dunn]

Rumor of Trotz bringing in Claude Noel and goaltending coach extraordinaire Mitch Korn. Would hate for the Capitals to start getting competent goaltending.

[Kaizer]

Trotz has arrived, good to know

[JS©]

Word is that the Capitals did not even bother to contact Ray Shero.

Even if he did, it's not like Leonsis would have received a response since he has 412 blocked from all Capitals phones.

[littlemoonboot]

Washington Capitals, born to fail!

[columbia]

Caps wanted a yes man GM. Caps got a guy familiar with the structure of things. Business as usual.

That's why I fear an internal hire by the Pens.

[penny lane]

...some coaches adapt to what it is that they have...

They're allowed to do that?

X 10!

[DelPen]

So McPhee light and a guy who doesn't know how to coach anyone with talent.

Never change Capitals.

[MarioLives]

If the Pens follow their recent direction they will hire Shero Light and keep Bylsma.......

How do we know that Trotz does not know how to coach talent? I thought many wanted him to come to the Pens to coach?

[Kraftster]

If the Pens follow their recent direction they will hire Shero Light and keep Bylsma.......

How do we know that Trotz does not know how to coach talent? I thought many wanted him to come to the Pens to coach?

And Shea Weber loves Trotz and has done okay for himself.

[llipgh2]

Caps wanted a yes man GM. Caps got a guy familiar with the structure of things. Business as usual.

As far as the GM, yes. But with Trotz, not sure if that is business as usual. The Ovi/Trotz dynamic could prove to be great. Or greatly disasterous.

[Lt. Dish]

Caps wanted a yes man GM. Caps got a guy familiar with the structure of things. Business as usual.

That's why I fear an internal hire by the Pens.

I vacillate on this point.

Based on what I've read so far, I think the Caps have indeed done themselves a disservice with this hiring; therefore, as a Pens fan, I love the hire.

It's reasonable to assume that an AGM has a similar philosophy, especially if he's been steeped in it. But it's also possible that an assistant doesn't necessarily have the same philosophy. How many of us have worked under a boss for a time and have been frustrated because we'd do things differently and we believed our suggestions would work? We wanted to shake up the old guard? I have. I'm not saying that's the case here. I have no idea what RS and Botterill's working relationship was like.

[brwi]

Looks like Teddy and his remaining brain-trust wanted to get back to how the Caps were playing under Dale Hunter for a while instead of BB or Oates. No doubt Trotz is going to open it up more than he ever could do in Nashville, but there definitely will be structure and accountability, along with some intensity and persistence.

[SolidSnake]

Teddy looked like a madame tussaud wax mannequin

[brwi]

Teddy looked like a madame tussaud wax mannequin

Plastic surgery anyone?