Analyst believes relationship with Barzal led to firing of Trotz

Many were surprised to hear that on early Monday morning, New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello made the decision to fire head coach Barry Trotz. According to a more recent report, however, he may not have had much of a choice.

From the outside looking in, Trotz's firing may make some sense, given that the team entered the season with Stanley Cup aspirations and ended up missing the playoffs entirely. That doesn't tell the full story, however, as this team started the season on a ridiculous 13-game road trip, and were ultimately never able to recover from it. Most expected that Lamoriello would call it a wash and try to run it back next season, but with the firing of Trotz it is clear that is no longer the plan, though the firing may not be for the reason anyone expected.

According to NHL analyst Nick Kypreos, Trotz's relationship with star forward Mathew Barzal had soured this season, and got so bad that Lamoriello was forced to choose between the veteran head coach or his 24-year-old forward. If this is the case, it is clear that he chose to give Barzal his wish. It will be interesting to see what this may do for the talented centerman moving forward, as many believe Trotz's defensive styled approach held back this team's offensive potential.

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