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  4. title => "Brian MacLellan explains the reasoning behind not extending Trotz before the 2017-18 season"
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  6. article_body => "<p>As shocking as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/stunner-barry-trotz-steps-down-two-weeks-after-leading-capitals-stanley-cup\" target=\"_blank\">the news of Barry Trotz\u2019s resignation<\/a> on Monday felt, it probably shouldn\u2019t have given that whether or not he would return to Washington after the 2017-18 season<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/washington-capitals\/trotz-lack-contract-extension-has-00-effect-him-caps\" target=\"_blank\"> was a storyline all year long<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trotz entered the 2017-18 season on the last year of his initial four-year deal leading to speculation over whether the team was dissatisfied with his results and ready to move on from the head coach when his contract expired. Teams typically do not allow a head coach to enter the final year of a contract so that they do not appear to the players to be a lame duck coach.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, that turned out to not be a problem as Trotz led the organization to its first Stanley Cup in his contract year. While there was interest from both sides&nbsp;in an extension in the wake of winning the Cup, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/term-not-money-was-main-sticking-point-brian-maclellans-negotiations-barry-trotz\" target=\"_blank\">ultimately&nbsp;a new deal could not be agreed upon<\/a> and now the defending champs are without a head coach.<\/p>\n<p>This begs the question, could things have been different had the team worked out a new contract with Trotz before the 2017-18 season? The answer is almost certainly yes, so how did things get to the point where Trotz was allowed to go into 2017-18 without an extension?<\/p>\n<p>During a press conference with the media on Monday, general manager Brian MacLellan explained the team\u2019s reasoning in not extending Trotz in the summer of 2017.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were struggling at the time to get over the hump,\u201d MacLellan said. \u201cWe couldn't get over the second round and Barry hadn't been able to coach out of the second round yet either.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 15 seasons with the Nashville Predators, Trotz was not able to coach his team past the second round in the playoffs. In his three seasons with Washington leading up to the 2017-18 campaign, he had led the Caps to two division titles and two Presidents\u2019 Trophies, but again could not get past the second-round hump that had plagued both him and the team.<\/p>\n<p>Based on MacLellan\u2019s comments, another early playoff exit would have likely led to the team choosing to allow Trotz's contract to expire.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think from the organization's perspective, some changes would've had to be made if we lost in the second round again,\u201d MacLellan said.<\/p>\n<p>But what if instead the unthinkable happened? What if the Caps forced Trotz into a \u201cprove it\u201d contract year and he was able to lead the team to the Stanley Cup? Didn\u2019t they risk losing him all along?<\/p>\n<p>Yes and no.<\/p>\n<p>MacLellan confirmed reports on Monday that Trotz\u2019s contract included an automatic two-year extension \u201cat an increased rate\u201d if he won the Cup. So while both sides were negotiating an extension, technically Trotz was already under contract through the 2019-20 season.<\/p>\n<p>In the summer of 2017, MacLellan had a choice to make. At the end of the two-year championship window, he could choose to extend a head coach who had not brought the team the type of postseason success he was hoping for, he could fire a coach who had just won two consecutive division titles, two Presidents\u2019 Trophies and whose team&nbsp;was eliminated in the playoffs by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, or he could ride out the final year of Trotz\u2019s deal and, in the off chance the team won the Stanley Cup, still rest easy in the notion that Trotz would automatically remain under contract.<\/p>\n<p>MacLellan went with option C. It almost worked.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>MORE CAPITALS COVERAGE:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Trotz out:<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/stunner-barry-trotz-steps-down-two-weeks-after-leading-capitals-stanley-cup\" target=\"_blank\">Barry Trotz steps down as head coach of the Caps<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Sticking point:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/term-not-money-was-main-sticking-point-brian-maclellans-negotiations-barry-trotz\" target=\"_blank\">Term, not money was what caused Trotz, Caps to separate<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>DSP:<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/devante-smith-pelly-hopeful-he-has-found-home-capitals\" target=\"_blank\">Will the Caps re-sign Devante Smith-Pelly?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Free agency:&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/john-carlson-wants-return-caps-want-him-back-can-they-make-numbers-work\" target=\"_blank\">Can the Caps afford John Carlson?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Get out the calendar:&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/caps-announce-preseason-schedule-kick-busy-week\" target=\"_blank\">Preseason schedule released<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"
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Capitals

Capitals

As shocking as the news of Barry Trotz’s resignation on Monday felt, it probably shouldn’t have given that whether or not he would return to Washington after the 2017-18 season was a storyline all year long.

Trotz entered the 2017-18 season on the last year of his initial four-year deal leading to speculation over whether the team was dissatisfied with his results and ready to move on from the head coach when his contract expired. Teams typically do not allow a head coach to enter the final year of a contract so that they do not appear to the players to be a lame duck coach.

Ultimately, that turned out to not be a problem as Trotz led the organization to its first Stanley Cup in his contract year. While there was interest from both sides in an extension in the wake of winning the Cup, ultimately a new deal could not be agreed upon and now the defending champs are without a head coach.

This begs the question, could things have been different had the team worked out a new contract with Trotz before the 2017-18 season? The answer is almost certainly yes, so how did things get to the point where Trotz was allowed to go into 2017-18 without an extension?

 

During a press conference with the media on Monday, general manager Brian MacLellan explained the team’s reasoning in not extending Trotz in the summer of 2017.

“We were struggling at the time to get over the hump,” MacLellan said. “We couldn't get over the second round and Barry hadn't been able to coach out of the second round yet either.”

In 15 seasons with the Nashville Predators, Trotz was not able to coach his team past the second round in the playoffs. In his three seasons with Washington leading up to the 2017-18 campaign, he had led the Caps to two division titles and two Presidents’ Trophies, but again could not get past the second-round hump that had plagued both him and the team.

Based on MacLellan’s comments, another early playoff exit would have likely led to the team choosing to allow Trotz's contract to expire.

“I think from the organization's perspective, some changes would've had to be made if we lost in the second round again,” MacLellan said.

But what if instead the unthinkable happened? What if the Caps forced Trotz into a “prove it” contract year and he was able to lead the team to the Stanley Cup? Didn’t they risk losing him all along?

Yes and no.

MacLellan confirmed reports on Monday that Trotz’s contract included an automatic two-year extension “at an increased rate” if he won the Cup. So while both sides were negotiating an extension, technically Trotz was already under contract through the 2019-20 season.

In the summer of 2017, MacLellan had a choice to make. At the end of the two-year championship window, he could choose to extend a head coach who had not brought the team the type of postseason success he was hoping for, he could fire a coach who had just won two consecutive division titles, two Presidents’ Trophies and whose team was eliminated in the playoffs by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, or he could ride out the final year of Trotz’s deal and, in the off chance the team won the Stanley Cup, still rest easy in the notion that Trotz would automatically remain under contract.

MacLellan went with option C. It almost worked.

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