Nick Wass/Associated Press Barry Trotz didn't have to wait long to find a new job after leading the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup. The New York Islanders named Trotz as their head coach Thursday. The Capitals announced Monday that Trotz informed them he was resigning as head coach after four seasons with the franchise. Per ESPN.com's Greg Wyshynski, there was a belief Trotz didn't have a contract with the Capitals after the 2017-18 season ended. Wyshynski also said a two-year extension, originally negotiated in 2014, was available if Washington won a Stanley Cup. Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan elaborated on the circumstances that led Trotz to leave the organization: "His representative wants to take advantage of Barry's experience and Stanley Cup win and was trying to negotiate a deal that compensates him as one of the better coaches in the league, top four or five coaches. I think the five-year term is probably a sticking point. You have a coach that's been here four years, you do another five, that's nine years. There's not many coaches that have that lasting ability. It's a long time and it's a lot of money to be committing to a coach." Trotz has a 762-568-60 record in 19 combined seasons as head coach of the Capitals and Nashville Predators. His teams have made 11 playoff appearances, including each of his four years with Washington. The Islanders fired head coach Doug Weight in early June after missing the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. They have just one playoff series win since the 1992-93 season.<doc-sep>The Telegraph Two of the surprise packages of this clay-court season have been British – initially Dan Evans, who made a deep run in Monte Carlo, and more lately Cameron Norrie, who played his second final in three weeks on Sunday. Unfortunately, Norrie wasn’t able to land a maiden ATP title in Lyon. But then he was up against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has been the dominant force of 2021 outside the slams, and now stands at No 1 in the table of most rankings points gained since January 1. Nevertheless, it had been a hugely creditable effort for Norrie to go this far, especially when you consider that he took out top seed Dominic Thiem on Thursday, and then trounced big-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov in Saturday’s semi-final, losing only two games in the process. Norrie has come to clay late in his career, but it feels like this is developing into his favourite surface. He has one of the heaviest left-handed forehands in the game, loaded with top-spin, and uses it like a miniature version of Rafael Nadal. The result has been a tally of 14 wins and only four losses since he began his European clay-court swing in Barcelona. So while the French Open, which starts next Sunday, has traditionally been a graveyard of British hopes, there are reasons to hope that this year’s event could deliver some more positive results. Norrie’s previous final in Estoril had been a nervewracking affair which he eventually lost on a deciding-set tie-break to the more experienced Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Sunday was more straightforward for Tsitsipas, who needed only 69 minutes to hammer home a 6-3, 6-3 victory. It was Tsitsipas’ second title of the clay-court sequence, after he won Monte Carlo in mid-April, taking out Evans in the semi-final along the way. He has become a serious contender to upset the establishment – specifically Nadal and Novak Djokovic – at Roland Garros over the next few weeks. “I felt in good shape from the beginning of the tournament,” said Tsitsipas afterwards. “I am proud of today’s match, I knew it would be a difficult one against Cameron, who has been showing great tennis this week. He has been winning against good players and showing what the left hand can do on clay. “It was not an easy match today. I had to handle the nerves and I am proud of my performance and the way I stayed focused towards my goal.” On this year’s results, meanwhile, both Evans and Norrie stand among the world’s 20 most successful men. Evans is at No 16 and Norrie No 14. The next challenge for them both is to convert that ATP Tour form into a deep run at a major.<doc-sep>Barry Trotz, fresh off leading the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup, has resigned as head coach, the team announced Monday. According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, a two-year extension kicked in for Trotz when he won the Stanley Cup at a $300,000 increase in salary. But coaches’ contracts have soared, and Trotz’s contract -- at $1.8 million with the increase -- was below market value. Both sides could not agree on a new contract, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, making Trotz a free agent. "We are obviously disappointed by Barry's decision, but would like to thank Barry for all his efforts the past four years and for helping bring the Stanley Cup to Washington," the Capitals said in a statement. "Barry is a man of high character and integrity and we are grateful for his leadership and for all that he has done for our franchise." The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mike Babcock is the highest-paid coach in the NHL at $6.25 million, and there was an expectation that Trotz should be paid in that neighborhood. Trotz immediately becomes the best available head coach, though the New York Islanders are the only team with a vacancy. The 55-year-old spent the last four seasons in Washington, leading the Capitals to the playoffs in all four seasons and a Stanley Cup, also his first, this season. Associate coach Todd Reirden, whom the team did not allow to interview for other jobs last summer, is expected to be the next Capitals' head coach.<doc-sep>
The Washington Capitals announced on Monday that head coach Barry Trotz has resigned just 11 days after leading the franchise to its first Stanley Cup title. Trotz, who was on the final year of his contract in Washington this past season, triggered a clause with the Stanley Cup win that added a two-year extension. But even with the extension and a reported pay raise, Trotz was still going to be one of the lower-paid coaches in the NHL, which prompted him to walk and seek a better deal, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. The Capitals released a statement on Trotz's decision: Barry Trotz informed the organization today of his decision to resign as head coach of the Washington Capitals. We are obviously disappointed by Barry's decision, but would like to thank Barry for all his efforts the past four years and for helping bring the Stanley Cup to Washington. Barry is a man of high character and integrity and we are grateful for his leadership and for all that he has done for our franchise. As for how much Trotz was making, it wasn't pennies, but it wasn't up to market. The two-year extension came with a bonus of $300,000, which would make his salary $1.8 million. By turning down the extension, he is, officially, a free agent and eligible to speak to any team that wants him. In 15 seasons with the Predators, Trotz had seven playoff appearances. He signed with the Capitals in 2014 with a 53 percent points percentage for his career. Since joining the Capitals, Trotz has a 68 percent points percentage and a Stanley Cup championship -- not to mention a playoff appearance in every season. Trotz's $1.5 million salary was the same as Coyotes' coach Rick Tocchet before the $300,000 kicker came in. For some frame of reference, the Maple Leafs' Mike Babcock makes $6.25 million per year, the Blackhawks' Joel Quenneville is making $6 million annually, and the Montreal Canadiens' Claude Julien makes $5 million annually, according to figures compiled by Cap Friendly. They're the top three reported salaries among NHL coaches, and two of those three teams didn't make the playoffs last season, hence Trotz's feeling that he was being undervalued. Trotz's record in Washington was 205-89-34. His 57.1 percent win percentage in the postseason is the best in Capitals' history. This move becomes especially interesting when considering that the Islanders, led by a hungry Lou Lamoriello, are now in the market for a new head coach after parting ways with Doug Weight. Should they pull the trigger and hire Trotz, it may also galvanize prized free agent John Tavares to re-sign with the the franchise in free agency. No other team -- outside of the Capitals now -- is looking for a head coach.