It can be argued, quite successfully, that Barry Trotz is the biggest free agent acquisition in recent memory for the Washington Capitals.

It can also be argued, quite successfully, that Trotz is more important to this franchise than any player on the roster than Alex Ovechkin. And that’s not usually the case for the Capitals coaches during Ovechkin’s time in this League, as the Capitals have gone through more coaches (4) than they’ve won playoff rounds (1) in the last three seasons.

Trotz was formally announced as the new coach of the Capitals on Tuesday along with new GM Brian MacLellan, returning to the franchise where he got his start as a scout and then as the head coach of their AHL affiliate in 1992.

We caught up with the former Nashville Predators coach on Tuesday to talk about his new gig, his “defensive coach” label and the superstar he’s about to coach.

Q. It’s amazing how things came full circle for you, getting your start with this franchise. Did you think you’d ever come back to the Capitals?

TROTZ: I didn’t. I had been in Nashville so long, that I didn’t know what the next thing would be. Would I retire in Nashville? I had no idea. So when [this job] did become available they expressed interest, thought I’d be a good fit. They showed a lot of interest in me.

In the general managers search, a lot of them thought I would be the right candidate for the job. I was taking my time, hoping they could get things in place. And they did.

Are you going to make them wear the old school Capitals sweaters more often, so you’ll feel more comfortable?

[Laughs] Then we’d have to wear the blue pants too!

In your presser, you talked about geography being a factor in your decision, specifically when it involved the Vancouver Canucks’ opening. Was that the determining factor in taking one job over another?

It played into it. I actually have a place in British Columbia, so the Vancouver thing was appealing. But I looked at it from a family standpoint, and felt at this time that if I get the opportunity with some of the teams [with openings] in the East, I would weigh them more, being in the East.

The Capitals have had four coaches in three years. Did that give you any pause about joining the franchise?

None whatsoever. I looked at the team, I looked at the people involved, and I thought it was a great fit. It actually never crossed my mind.

I’ve been coaching in the league for 13 years. For other coaches, who are in their first or second jobs, maybe they’re in a different place. But I’ve very confident in taking this job and that it’s the right place for me.

It’s gotta be nice to have someone you trust like former Predator Joel Ward in the room? Is there anything he said to you that piqued your interest about the job?

I did my homework, and talked to a lot of people connected with the team. When people focus on one or two things, you miss out on the other 20 or 30 things that are good about the room. So I wanted to make sure that everyone was saying the same thing, and they were.

There are some terrific people in that room: Nick Backstrom and Brooks Laich and Troy Brouwer and John Carlson, I’ve heard nothing but great things about him. Braden Holtby has a really good personality and is a good goaltender. I’ve heard so many positives, that it was an easy decision for me.

How involved do you expect to be on the player personnel side, working with new GM Brian MacLellan?

Brian is my boss, but in the short time we’ve had together, it’s like two hockey guys just talkin’ hockey. I think I’m going to have a voice, telling him how I feel or think, but it’s going to be Brian’s decisions.

I think, just like anything, he’ll take in all the input, like David Poile did, and then make his decisions accordingly.

Are you tired of being called a “defensive coach?”

[Laughs] To me that’s a part of the game. An important part of the game.

You get labels sometimes. When I had Paul Kariya, I think we were No. 5 in the League in total offense. Two years ago, without any big game stars up front, only Chicago and Vancouver scored more goals than the Nashville Predators. But that’s never talked about.

You take on the identity of your stars. My stars in Nashville were Shea Weber, Pekka Rinne and Ryan Suter, those people. They’re known for the defensive side of the game.

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