When I first read that the New York Islanders fired their head coach, Barry Trotz, the lamp was lit in my head with thoughts about how the Chicago Blackhawks should ponce on a guy that suddenly became available. Derek King still has the label of interim coach on his title so you know the Blackhawks are kicking the tires on a new leader. In a year that dark clouds smothered the United Center, and are still lingering today, where the organization was exposed for the cover up Kyle Beach saga. Resulting in a slew of heads chopped off at the neck that were legends from the years that the Blackhawks hoisted three Cups. A stain that will need years of gasoline using a wire brush to scrape off the humiliation when the cat came out of the bag. Then to see the product on the ice perform poorly during the entire season; an organization at the crossroads with two of their best superstars that help win those three cups. The Indian sweater is at rock bottom once again right before the dynasty was created. When the Blackhawks were lower than pond scum sharing the worst franchise title with the LA Clippers out of the 4 main sports leagues. The Blackhawks need a guy that can bring toughness back to a team that needs direction and leadership, both of which Trotz can provide.

Barry Trotz is 59 years old and has been head coach in the NHL for 15 seasons. Trotz has been with three organizations starting with Nashville, then he went on to Washington, and then finally moving on to take the job with the Islanders. In 15 seasons behind the bench, Trotz has the 3rd most wins in NHL history as a head coach. Trotz has a regular season record of 914-670-60 which is a .567 winning percentage. Trotz won a Stanley Cup in Washington in 2018. It was the first and only cup the Capitals have ever won. In 4 seasons in New York, Trotz had a record of 152-102-34 as he fixed the Islanders who were one of the worst defensive teams in the league when he came in and turned them into one of the best in the league. In 2021, Trotz had the Islanders only one game away from making the finals. This year the Islanders went 37-35-10 under Trotz leadership and missed the playoffs for the first time out of his 4 year tenure. Not sure you can fault Trotz for missing the playoffs when the team started off poorly due to a five week road trip to start the season off while the team waited for their new arena to finish being built. The Islanders would then have a slew of injuries with some Covid issues, so you can chalk it up missing the playoffs as one of those bad luck seasons. Some organizations don’t care for any kind of excuses even when things are out of your hands and he was let go as the Islanders want a new voice for their team next season.

The Blackhawks have major problems on the ice and off the ice. The new General Manager was a busy guy at the trade deadline trying to trade away some mistakes that Stan Bowman made last off-season getting rid of them to other teams. The Blackhawks off the ice are still dealing with the after shocks of the Kyle Beach saga as they let a sexual predator walk out of their building with a recommendation for a new job even though they knew this guy was a sick twisted person. Then there’s the hoof and mouth disease the Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz had at a town hall meeting. It was held because the team had to try and get themselves out in front of this Kyle Beach cluster bomb. The meeting resulted in even darker clouds. Now the Blackhawks have restructured their front office and named Kyle Davidson the new General Manager taking the interim tag off his work. Davidson’s first move when he was named interim GM was getting rid of yesterday’s garbage in head coach Jeremy Colliton. Derek King then took over because he was on Colliton’s staff and the best available. Now Davidson could really get the regime off to a great start and hire Barry Trotz.

I don’t know if Barry Trotz would even take the Blackhawks’ phone call, especially if he does not want to take on a project. Bringing in Trotz could give Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews one last shot to build something around these two guys. Stan Bowman has tried to assemble guys around Kane and Toews for years since the dynasty ran out of gas, and has failed miserable. Bringing in Trotz would force the Blackhawks to build a solid defense around Kane and Toews. When the Blackhawks were winning Cups, some of those teams’ defense were not that good as the goalie bailed the team out again and again with the team’s high powered offense. Trotz would bring discipline right from the start. Especially, a team handcuffed by the salary cap would need to depend on younger talent. Trotz teams play an aggressive style of hockey as his players go out and hit people and crash the boards with authority. Toews is a much better player when he plays an aggressive style of hockey. Opposing teams would think before they hit a guy like Kane because they know somebody may be closer than they think in their rear view mirror. Trotz would bring a winning environment back to the United Center. Trotz has won in every place he has been. If the Blackhawks gave him the time and the players, I think Trotz can build a team that would make the post-season every year. Winning on the ice would help some of the dark clouds still lingering over the United Center turn into rainbows and unicorns. Eventually all those skeletons that came out of the closet could then be forgotten and placed back under the house in hopes no one lets them out again. Winning seems to always cure all.