Proposal: Fire DJ Smith
- Thread starter KevinRedkey
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Micklebot
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- Apr 27, 2010
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Vingeault
Tippett
Brunette
Boudreau
Green
Leaman
Gronberg
Then there's the potential for guys to get fired,
Laviolette
Torterella
Berube
While I disagree with the whole “DJ isn’t an NHL coach” narrative, I think it’s time for a change. A new voice is something that is often needed. I imagine DJ will do well when he gets another chance in a few years.
Nac Mac Feegle
wee & free
- Jun 10, 2011
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Don't get my hopes up. I've wanted Torts in Ottawa for nearly two decades now.
Realistically though, we're going to see a full housecleaning this summer after new owners come in.
And the new GM has one big question to answer first: are we going to be a big, tough, physical, in your face team that's hard to play against (and hopefully fast, as well)....or are we going for an infusion of skill? Cat does not fit into the former group, but he does in the latter. And no one in our bottom 6 right now fits for either setup. So there is a lot of work to be done this summer. And we also need a coach that fits whatever style we're supposed to be playing.
bert
Registered User
Agreed its likely time this group needs another voice. From a management perspective too. New GM hires a new coach. However I am not going to ignore the good DJ has done with this group. They play hard for one another, they care about one another. Its a tight group and he deserves credit for that. They don't throw each other under the bus, it's a really strong culture he has built and is a good foundation moving forward. He also built the teams identity. Which is a heavy group, when they commit to the game plan they can be good. Hard forcheck getting pucks in deep and activating the d on the cycle. Strong special teams are a sign of coaching too.
I think he will coach again In the league. He Like others will learn and improve in their 2nd stint. I think he will identify he needs a better X's and O's guy from a staff perspective. With some more attention to detail and structure he will be a good coach.
If I was a coach id look at Ottawa as a great situation to come in to take the team to the next level. The foundation is in place.
DJB
Registered User
Obviously losing Norris hurt, but there is no way this roster should be this bad or this inconsistent. Boys might be gassed... but so are most teams right now and they have structure, habits and a system to rely on. We do not.
It will be infuriating if we do not move on from DJ Smith this offseason.
and bert makes some valid points above. DJ Smith has done a lot of good here. This group just needs someone to come in and give them what DJ seemingly cannot.
It will be infuriating if we do not move on from DJ Smith this offseason.
and bert makes some valid points above. DJ Smith has done a lot of good here. This group just needs someone to come in and give them what DJ seemingly cannot.
Wait now, how many pundits gave us a playoff position in September? And then we lost Norris.
Had the pundits known we'd play without Norris all year, where do you think they'd have slotted us? I'm thinking serious lottery contender.
DJ's future here is most likely tied to the Sens sale.
They're now floating July dates. That means Dorion does the draft and draft trading. It also means he does the summer roster overhaul
Seems unlikely to me that if Dorion does the draft and a roster overhaul in the summer, they fire him before the season starts. And if Dorion is here, seems likely that DJ is here.
They're now floating July dates. That means Dorion does the draft and draft trading. It also means he does the summer roster overhaul
Seems unlikely to me that if Dorion does the draft and a roster overhaul in the summer, they fire him before the season starts. And if Dorion is here, seems likely that DJ is here.
Excuses are a way to avoid or diminish responsibility.
That’s what distinguishes them for reasons.
Definition of EXCUSE
to make apology for; to try to remove blame from; to forgive entirely or disregard as of trivial import : regard as excusable… See the full definition
www.merriam-webster.com
Definition of REASON
a statement offered in explanation or justification; a rational ground or motive; the thing that makes some fact intelligible : cause… See the full definition
www.merriam-webster.com
Pretty basic stuff.
Saying they didn’t make the playoffs because of injuries is an excuse because the injuries are not the reason the Sens aren’t making the playoffs. It’s a facile oversimplification aimed at lessening responsibility on the coach, GM and players.
Well thanks for that. I can see how hard it was for you to admit you made a mistake.
Nobody said injuries weren’t a factor. Using them as an excuse is the problem.
Sure, not in points percentage. Just in actual standings.
Very Stable Genius
#WeLostOurKarlssons
Gord Wilson to DJ: Safe to say the schedule played a factor in tonight's performance? Yeah
Gord Wilson to Tim: Safe to say the schedule played a factor in tonight's performance? No
Gord Wilson to Tim: Safe to say the schedule played a factor in tonight's performance? No
Micklebot
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- Apr 27, 2010
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Here's the problem, you've acknowledged that injuries impact results but at the same time dismiss that they can be a reason for a team to miss the playoff, your entire position stems from these two incompatible positions.Excuses are a way to avoid or diminish responsibility.
That’s what distinguishes them for reasons.
Definition of EXCUSE
to make apology for; to try to remove blame from; to forgive entirely or disregard as of trivial import : regard as excusable… See the full definition
Definition of REASON
a statement offered in explanation or justification; a rational ground or motive; the thing that makes some fact intelligible : cause… See the full definition
Pretty basic stuff.
Saying they didn’t make the playoffs because of injuries is an excuse because the injuries are not the reason the Sens aren’t making the playoffs. It’s a facile oversimplification aimed at lessening responsibility on the coach, GM and players.
Well thanks for that. I can see how hard it was for you to admit you made a mistake.
Nobody said injuries weren’t a factor. Using them as an excuse is the problem.
Sure, not in points percentage. Just in actual standings.
Nobody is trying to deminish responsibility for the teams missing the playoffs, the team is what it is, a bubble team not expected to make the playoffs in the first place. You excuse someone for not meeting an expected behaviour, a student is late for class, he uses traffic as an excuse, but a student on time for class needs no excuse. We are meeting reasonable expectations for this season, and could have exceeded them with better health.
Being dismissive of the real impact injuries had doesn't make you look more rationale, it just means you're ignoring contributing factors in an analysis of the outcome and where the team currently stands. If that's how you roll, fine, but it doesn't give you a true representation of where the team is, or how well DJ did in coaching the pieces he had available when you ignore injuries. That's the goal afterall, assessing what went wrong and what needs to be done moving forward, whether DJ failed, met, or exceeded expectations.
We went from a team guaranteed to be bottom of the league to a team battling for the 8th spot. I don’t know how we can expect more from this year.
The fact that games like yesterday have still been fairly common this year is the worrying part. But our place in the standings? It was a realistic goal. And they’ve met it. It doesn’t help anyone to set unrealistic goals and then deal with the fallout when they’re not met.
There’s a reason why there’s this mystic aura around our playoff push. It’s because this team making the playoffs would be something kind of incredible.
This is DJs every interview.
“My fault”
When gord gives him an out “not my fault”
When he goes to coach “that wasn’t my fault”
BoardsofCanada
Registered User
FunkySeeFunkyDoo
Registered User
Those actual quotes or are you just being humorous?
If actual quotes, then that says a lot.
AchtzehnBaby
Global Matador
Wally must be fuming!
Wally hates this team so bad. Smiling like a kid at Christmas over their demise.
Senscore
Let's keep it cold
- Nov 19, 2012
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They're saying the forwards are constantly cheating and it's made worse because they're always playing from behind, and that coach is probably telling them not to do it.
So I guess it's just gonna keep happening then.
It is stupid not to change the coach if the team misses again this year
Even if you like DJ there is no real reason to not try a new coach
If the whole team is playing like crap they probably are tuning out DJ
FunkySeeFunkyDoo
Registered User
What portion are you referring to?
I listened to just a few minutes from about the 11 minute mark to about 13:30, and in there York and Ryan were talking about how the forwards were leaving the d-men out to dry, blowing the zone, etc.
Exactly the problems that some people identified in the team months ago. And exactly the problems that good coaches don't tolerate.
My position on reasons and excuses isn’t incompatible, it is based on the definition of the terms.
A student leaves home to head to class. Their drive usually takes 15 minutes. They leave home 16 minutes before class starts leaving 1 minute to walk to class. This day, they hit a bit more traffic than usual. They arrive 2 mins late. Is traffic the reason they were late? It is a reason. Their poor planning leaving no room for error is another, more central reason. As such, saying “I was late because of traffic” isn’t entirely true. It’s an excuse, deflecting attention from their poor planning.
I’m not ignoring injuries, I’m refusing to let people off the hook for other mistakes by letting them brush them under the rug saying “but for injuries”. There are other issues just as detrimental to team success as injuries such as poor roster construction, inconsistent player performance, questionable structure/execution of structure, inconsistent effort etc.
Beech
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- Nov 25, 2020
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We first heard of the sale in October. I will safely assume that quietly the process has been on since Eugene M's last few months with us. So, some bidders may have known and may have been working for 1 to 1.5 years.
If that is the case, then these groups may have spent a fair amount of time lining up Executive staff and Hockey Ops staff for a while. And once a winner is announced and they take over, it could be instantaneous turnover.
Times have changed. There is no longer the carelessness, the haphazardness, etc. We are talking 1 Billion and a commitment to expand, to be involved in real estate and so on... You jump in with both feet today. And so every i better be dotted and every t better be crossed.
I love to be a fly on the wall as each group presents to Gary Bettman. I wouldn't be surprised if an organization chart is part of that presentation....with real names on it and not TBDs.
Granted, those real names may be Dorion, DJ and others. We will see. Announcement 1); Dj firing should come in 5-30 days if the team falters any more. Announcement 2); Dorion firing will be in 5-60 days if there is any falter or if a change was going to happen anyway.
Should 60 days pass and no firing then they are probably on the winning bidders organizational chart.
Joeyjoejoe
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- Dec 18, 2015
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looool they identified the same issues that everyone here has been talking about for a year now. Issues that only the coach has the ability to identify and try to fix, which he hasn't yet. Every forward on our team is always cheating offensively, they don't get reprimanded because the coach would like to be their best friend instead of their coach. There is no consequences to cheating or playing horribly with this team, so there is never any improvements. The only thing this coach will do is scratch bottom line guys and just let the top guys continue doing what they are doing with no real consequences. That's a coaching issue.
Dude is a .400 former assistant coach who was given 4 seasons to install any kind of structure here with no success, given elite talent to work with and a lot of rope. He is one of the longest tenured coaches in the league while not even having a single winning season. Better coaches have been fired for less. Some of ya'll acting like if we get rid of him, we will never find a coach as good as him, and he needs to protected at all costs.
Not saying coaching will fix everything since this team still has holes (depth scoring, goaltending), but a lot more will be squeezed out of this group than what's currently been shown. 4 years is enough time. Time for a change.
I don’t think they are tuning out DJ. I do believe they need a new coach though. I realize this seems contradictory but it’s not that. Every good coach I’ve had has taught me something that has made me better, it’s generally an aggregation of different voices that makes for much better development. Look at how Tiger Woods and Roger Federer have changed coaches, it’s always best to have new eyes evaluating your game.
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