In a rather shocking move, the New York Islanders have fired head coach Barry Trotz, who had been in charge since the 2018-19 season.

Via Ethan Sears:

While the Islanders did miss the playoffs in 2021-22, Trotz led them to the postseason in three straight seasons prior, including the conference semifinals two years ago. Trotz had a winning record in every single campaign, with New York going 48-27 in 2018-19.

This past season, however, the Islanders barely finished over .500, going 37-35-10 as they struggled to bounce back from a slow start. Nevertheless, he is a proven head coach who won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals before coming over to New York.

The Islanders parting ways with Trotz is definitely surprising, to say the least. He knows what it takes to succeed at the NHL level but evidently, the front office believed they should be heading in a new direction. Even Twitter was stunned by the move.

It's unknown who will be his replacement, but the Islanders will surely be doing an extensive search for their next boss as NY aims to get back into contention in 2022/23. As for Barry Trotz, there is little doubt he'll be able to find another job elsewhere in a hurry given his impressive resume.

New beginnings for both sides.