Capitals, Peter Laviolette mutually agree to part ways

The Washington Capitals and head coach Peter Laviolette have mutually agreed to part ways, the team announced Friday.

"We are grateful for Peter's leadership and dedication to our organization for the last three seasons," said MacLellan. "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."

Laviolette, 58, just concluded his third season as Capitals head coach. Under this final campaign with Laviolette, the Capitals missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013-14. The team failed to win a playoff series with Laviolette behind the bench, although some gave the team credit for giving the Florida Panthers a real run for their money during the 2022 postseason.

Sometimes, it’s tempting to look at phrasing such as “mutually parting ways” as a friendly way of saying someone got fired. That may not be the case here, as Laviolette’s contract was set to expire in June, and Pierre LeBrun reports that the experienced coach is “betting on himself.”

It will be interesting to observe how the coaching market receives Laviolette. He won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2005-06 and coached two other teams (Philadelphia Flyers in 2009-10, Nashville Predators in 2016-17) to Stanley Cup Final appearances. Laviolette has coached five different NHL teams, amassing 1,430 regular-season games and 154 playoff contests of experience.

With that resume, some teams may indeed come calling, especially in a risk-averse league where retread coaches get plenty of opportunities.

The Capitals approach an uncertain future in their own right. Aside from the occasional prime-age player (23-year-old Rasmus Sandin, 26-year-old Dylan Strome), this is an aging team that hasn’t won a single playoff round since they won the Stanley Cup in 2017-18. Considering Todd Reirden’s failures and middling results under Laviolette, plenty of people will criticize the Capitals for letting Barry Trotz walk after he coached the team to that elusive championship.