Capitals 'Just Beginning' Coaching Search, MacLellan Details Process & Hints At Possible Direction

Washington is looking for a new head coach after parting ways with Peter Laviolette.

Even though the Washington Capitals aren't in the playoffs, general manager Brian MacLellan is keeping a close eye on how the postseason is playing out as he prepares for a busy offseason, where finding a new head coach is the top priority.

And, on Monday, he appeared to give a possible hint of what direction things are headed in when it comes to filling that vacancy behind the bench.

MacLellan spoke with NBC Sports Washington's Alexa Landestoy following the NHL Draft Lottery and said that the team is still just beginning the process of finding a new coach, and that the postseason is playing a part in it.

"There's a lot of teams still playing, there's a lot of guys we wanna talk to, so we'll monitor the playoffs, see what happens in the playoffs," MacLellan said.

One obvious candidate who remains in the midst of a playoff run is Toronto Maple Leafs assistant and former Hershey Bears coach Spencer Carbery. He was well liked during his tenure with the Capitals' organization and has great experience, and this year, his leadership helped the Leafs finally make it past the first round.

Washington is also reportedly set to interview DMV native and alumnus Jeff Halpern for the job. He won back-to-back Stanley Cups working alongside Jon Cooper with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and he's also shared the locker room with Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and more.

After Washington parted ways with Peter Laviolette on April 14, MacLellan noted on breakdown day that the Capitals would look at current assistant coaches and didn't express a clear preference with regard to experience.

"We're more open [to younger coaches]. I think our group is changing, we're trying to get younger," MacLellan said on breakdown day. "It's going to be different in that you want a coach that can work with young guys, and we're going to have a veteran group at the top that kind of needs a veteran coach. So it's going to be a challenge... a combination of what we've had would be the ideal candidate. I don't know that we can find it, but we'll do the best we can."

While the team will likely take a look at all options, MacLellan's comments somewhat indicate that the team is heading in the direction of an assistant or younger candidate rather than a veteran presence after three seasons with Laviolette. Still, there are names like Gerard Gallant on the market that could be worth an interview.

In the end, there's a plan in place and work to do.

"We targeted a few guys, we'll bring them in and we'll talk to them and we'll go from there," MacLellan said.