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Reports: Trotz in Washington to talk to Caps

Barry Trotz

Nashville Predators head coach Barry Trotz watches during NHL hockey training camp on Monday, Jan. 14, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. The shortened, 48-game season begins Saturday, January 19. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

AP

The Barry Trotz interview tour, Summer 2014, appears to be in full swing. According to multiple reports, one by Sportsnet’s John Shannon, the former Predators head coach was in Washington yesterday to talk to the Capitals about their vacant position behind the bench.

Besides Washington, there are three other official coaching vacancies: in Florida, Carolina, and Vancouver. There could be another in Pittsburgh, depending what the new GM, whoever that may be, decides to do about Dan Bylsma.

Trotz has already publicly indicated his interest in the Washington job and the Vancouver job. But wherever he ends up (and it sure seems like he’ll end up somewhere), he doesn’t want people to assume he’ll coach the same system he did in Nashville.

“I’ve played a number of different systems based on our personnel, but I like the personnel to dictate the strength,” he told the Washington Post. “In Nashville, our strength was in net and defense. So our team would take the personality of the top players and that was most often on the back end.”

As proof, he likes to point out that, from 2005-2007 -- when the Preds were led by Paul Kariya -- they were among the highest-scoring teams in the NHL, which is true.

That being said, there was a reason Nashville went with Peter Laviolette as its new coach, and it wasn’t because he coached a boring, defensive style.

Which is to say, it’ll be interesting to see if Trotz can actually adapt. Because if he ends up with Washington or Vancouver, he’ll have to get the most out of Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, or Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin.

Related: Trotz looks forward to next coaching gig as teams line up