A year after Lane Lambert was a finalist for the Avalanche’s head coaching gig, Caps associate coach Todd Reirden is now a candidate for the open Florida Panthers position.
TSN’s Frank Seravalli was the first to report the news.
Add #Caps assistant Todd Reirden to #FlaPanthers head coach candidate list. Intvw forthcoming. He's also potential HC candidate in BUF. #TSN
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) May 15, 2017
According to CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Tarik El-Bashir, several other candidates have already been interviewed by the Panthers.
Panthers GM Dale Tallon is expected to cast a wide net as he looks to fill his vacancy. Former Canadiens Coach Michel Therrien and University of Denver’s Jim Montgomery have already been interviewed for the job, according to reports.
Reirden getting a look from another team is not a surprise. After winning the Presidents’ Trophy for the second straight year, the Capitals boast some of the most respected assistant coaches in the league. The former Penguin has previously been linked to head coaching jobs in Calgary and New Jersey.
“The coaching staff is integral, especially for me and the players,” head coach Barry Trotz said on breakdown day. “We got some good people. I’m hoping, just like anything, you never want to hold anybody back as a staff member. If they get an opportunity, I think they got to go for it. It’ll be up to me or Mac or whoever to find a great replacement. I think I got three capable guys that can be on a bench and do a great job for a team.”
Over the summer, Reirden was promoted from an assistant coach to an associate coach, running training camp while Trotz served as an assistant for Team Canada at the World Cup of Hockey.
Under Reirden’s leadership, the Capitals defense allowed the fewest goals in the league (182) and had the lowest goals per game average (2.16). The Capitals also finished fourth overall in shots given up per game (27.8) and led the league in goal differential (plus-81).
The Hockey News also called Reirden a “perfect fit” for the open Buffalo Sabres job, but there’s no word on if they have contacted him or not.
