Barry Trotz has a reputation as a fixer, but it's unlikely many hockey people thought he could work this quickly.
Trotz, a 56-year-old from Dauphin, was hired in the off-season by the New York Islanders after guiding the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup title last spring.
His new job looked like a long-term project. Few would have imagined the Islanders would be battling for the Metropolitan Division lead for most of 2018-19, but that's where they've been.
Entering Thursday's game in Winnipeg, the Islanders (44-26-7) were tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins for second in the Metro and only three points back of the front-running Caps.