For the first time in 35 years, the Islanders will have the reigning Stanley Cup champion coach behind their bench. That they are willing to pay him and that he was willing to take the job says everything about how far the franchise has come in the past two months.
Barry Trotz, the most accomplished coach the Islanders have had since Al Arbour, represents a whole new professional, aggressive approach. He also adds to it. The man who turned the expansion Predators into a perennial contender and turned the enigmatic Alex Ovechkin into a champion is the first major addition in Lou Lamoriello’s run.