The Washington Capitals and head coach Peter Laviolette mutually agreed to part ways on Friday.
In his third season with the club, Laviolette fell out of favor following a lackluster 2022-23 campaign which saw the Capitals miss out on the postseason for only the second time since 2007.
“We are grateful for Peter’s leadership and dedication to our organization for the last three seasons,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said in a statement. “Peter is a first-class individual who has represented our club with integrity and guided our team through many difficult circumstances in his tenure as our head coach. We wish him all the best moving forward.”
Under Laviolette, the Capitals posted an overall 115-78-27 record, reaching the postseason twice. He might not be out a job for long. NHL insider Pierre LeBrun believes Laviolette will be a “pretty hot candidate” on the open market upcoming.
Laviolette is third among active coaches in wins (752) and eighth all-time in NHL history. The 58-year-old coach has taken three teams to the Stanley Cup Final and won it once, hoisting the trophy after topping the Carolina Hurricanes during to cap off the 2005-06 season.
Regarding the Capitals’ next move, Billy Jaffe of NHL Network believes Washington is seeking a new voice that can make an immediate impact.
“Kind of like what Bruce Cassidy did for Vegas or what Jim Montgomery did for Boston,” Jaffe explained. “I think they’re looking for that kind of coach to catapult them back into the playoffs.”
Toronto Maple Leafs’ assistant Spencer Carbery is a name to watch, here. Before joining the Leafs in 2021, Carbery had a successful run as head coach of the Hershey Bears, the Capitals’ AHL affiliate. Per Emily Kaplan of ESPN, Carbery is well-liked within the organization and could be on the shortlist of top candidates for the now-open position.
