Plenty of Challenges Await Todd Reirden’s Successor as Capitals Head Coach

When Todd Reirden was hired as head coach of the Capitals in 2018, he had the unenviable task of taking over for a coach who had just led the team to a championship. The next head coach will not have that challenge, but there are still plenty of challenges that await Reirden's successor.

The biggest issue facing the Capitals is that this is a team nearing a crossroads. With its veteran-laden roster, the clock is ticking on the championship window. There will come a time when players like Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie will no longer be able to perform at an elite level. That day is going to come sooner than you probably think. Priority No. 1 is going to be competing for a Stanley Cup, but the next coach will very likely also need to navigate at least the start of the team's transition away from the Alex Ovechkin championship era.

in the immediate future, general manager Brian MacLellan made it very clear on Sunday what he feels the top priority for the next coach to be.

"I think consistent compete level from some guys would help our goal moving forward and I think you know those buttons do need to be pushed," MacLellan said. "We need to hold guys accountable when they don't perform up to standards. I think it is an important part and I think just the whole inconsistent team effort. The play of units of five, not just individually would help that situation tremendously."

Some of the players MacLellan is referring to seem obvious. Evgeny Kuznetsov cycles between being among one of the best players in the world to being non-existent on the ice on any given night. Jakub Vrana has now gone 15 straight postseason games without recording a single point. The entire bottom-six was a non-factor in the playoffs. Dmitry Orlov and Nick Jensen look like top-four defensemen at their best and bottom-pair defensemen at their worst. Washington was also among the most penalized teams in the league. The 298 penalties the Caps took in 2019-20 tied Washington for second in the NHL.

Let's face it, accountability was never Reirden's strong suit. That is something MacLellan clearly wants to see the team improve on.

The team will also face a new challenge in net next year as it transitions away from Braden Holtby who was on the last year of his contract. Even if Holtby does re-sign in the offseason, he will almost certainly be the backup heading into next season behind Ilya Samsonov. Regardless of who the No. 1 is, the new coach will have to determine how best to utilize a No. 1 goalie with only 26 games of NHL experience and a No. 2 who will have to work in tandem.

One of the most glaring weaknesses of the Caps in 2019-20 season was the complete deterioration of the team's defense. That must be addressed, especially with the team poised to make Samsonov the No. 1. It has got to give its young netminder more help in order to set him up for success.

Offensively, the issue there will be determining how to spread the wealth. The playoffs exposed just how dependent Washington is on its top-six. When the goals dried up in the playoffs, Reirden began over-playing the top players. With another year under their belt, you can't get away with this for long. You need to be able to get production out of your bottom-six or you will overtax your top players. Managing minutes is something Washington will need to be more cognizant of with its veterans with every passing year.

No, the new coach will not be taking over a team in the wake of a championship offseason party, but he will just have to figure out how to get this team with championship talent that has flamed out in the first round the past two seasons back to being a championship contender. No pressure there.

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