Proposal: Fire DJ Smith

[NyQuil]

Bring back Jacques or bring in Claude Julien. Claude was rumored to be the favorite to coach the sens before the bruins got wind of it and decided not to fire him in 2016 (they proceeded to fire him at the start of the next season instead)

Someone I know who knows Claude had said that he would never coach Ottawa with Melnyk as the owner.

So perhaps there's an opportunity here. He does live in Ottawa.

 

[coladin]

What kind of stuff ? (allegedly)

Dorion alluded to all the stuff that DJ had to deal with, and said that everyone "has no idea" what DJ has had to coach through. I take the inference to be the off -ice distractions with Batherson and Formenton, and I have a feeling some of the young stars have had some major mental challenges.

Pierre has never spoken like that in any other year, when discussing all the injuries or Covid challenges

 

[Golden_Jet]

Dorion alluded to all the stuff that DJ had to deal with, and said that everyone "has no idea" what DJ has had to coach through. I take the inference to be the off -ice distractions with Batherson and Formenton, and I have a feeling some of the young stars have had some major mental challenges.

Pierre has never spoken like that in any other year, when discussing all the injuries or Covid challenges

Link to PD saying this, sounds like Covid challenges to me. Think you’re looking for something that’s not there.

 

[Crosside]

Link to PD saying this, sounds like Covid challenges to me. Think you’re looking for something that’s not there.

I heard that too. This is in one of latest Dorion interview

 

[YouGotAStuGoing]

LOL! You must be new around here.

LOL you know I'm not! I've seen plenty of criticism of DJ, some warranted, some IMO not. What I haven't seen is much suggesting that DJ isn't well-liked or sincere.

 

[Big Muddy]

too risky with not owning our own picks. Finish as close to the playoffs as possible. Dont give Zona a top 10 pick.

Yes, we don't even have a pick until the 4th round in this upcoming draft.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

3 games ago we had a 13% chance to make the playoffs

We now have a 5% chance.

If you think these 3 games really charged my opinion on what meaningful games are, not to sure what to tell you, but I assure you, I don’t consider a <15% chance at playoffs with 1/4 of the season remaining, while having played the 2nd easiest schedule in the league, meaningful games.

If all that we have to do to have “meaningful” games is not be mathematically eliminated with 15+ games remaining, well, those are embarrassingly low standards.

Who is “we”. Like the players on the team AND us? Because I think it’s pretty evident that those games were meaningful to the players in a playoff context. 4 points out of the playoffs with 3 games in hand, or whatever it was, is in fact meaningful. Don’t know why some fans fight against that? 15%. To me 15% to make the playoffs sounds easy to bet against. But I’m not playing. So yeah I don’t doubt you sat back and we’re like “ha! 15%! “. But the players believed they could make it. And whether we like it or not (don’t know why we wouldn’t) they could make it.

Yeah in the playoff hunt by the trade deadline was a target. A realistic one. That’s where they were lol. A few points back with a few games in hand. And ya… they’re…. Now farther back after losing 4 of 5. Which ironically were against teams worse than us.

What is your opinion on meaningful games. You’ve played hockey I think? Or at least sports. If you’re 4/5 points out with 3 games in hand. Are you taking those games seriously? Are they meaningful to you and and your teammates. Or are you looking at 15%! Saying “those pessimistic fans are right on this one”.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

I am so tired of people trotting out the goal of "having meaningful games" in March because it allows for such a broad interpretation of success. For many the Sens not being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs by now is a reason to rejoice. For myself and others the steady improvement of last year and the major additions at the start of the year gave expectations that the Sens could seriously challenge for a wild card spot.
If you are content with your team being only somewhat competitive, then more power to you. But don't be upset when your team doesn't receive their participation medals at the end of the season.

Need to fill you in on something. My goals for the team mean nothing. Neither do yours. My interpretation of success has no effect on the players or management or ownership on how they spend their money. No matter how many times you say “this isn’t successful!” It’s changed nothing.

No one is expecting participation medals we are all very aware how playoff seeding works and playoff format and what a team needs to do to win a cup. We can win the presidents trophy. Or the conference titles. There are no additional awards for being in the playoff hunt and missing out

Dude. We DID seriously contend for a wild card spot. Like we did it. Couple points out. We faltered against Chicago and f***ing Vancouver which let’s face it was unexpected. I’m sure you’re respons with “actually I know they were going to lose and get crushed on this road ship. If we didn’t we would still be right in the thick of things man exactly where you said you hoped we would be ???

No one is rejoicing Becuase “we are not mathematically eliminated on March 16”. Why discount the run just went on. We we passed a bunch of teams and clawed back in.

Matter of fact is it looks like some people’s expectations were playoffs or bust. And that’s fine. It’s a little unrealistic. But it’s still fine. And the closer we get to a goal. The more angry you are you don’t reach it. That’s just human nature.

I really can’t beleive that sometimes some of you make me , the most pessimistic asshole in this place, defend this team. It actually pains me

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Someone I know who knows Claude had said that he would never coach Ottawa with Melnyk as the owner.

So perhaps there's an opportunity here. He does live in Ottawa.

Julien and many others presumably. Remember the POHO search with name after name being put out in the media as not interested? Even without the abrasive, micro managing Melnyk personality factor, the pay wouldn't have been there to ever be a realistic option.

Hopefully our future hires aren't dictated by the same bs going forward.

 

[Union2017]

What's DJ's current salary? When I google it, it says undisclosed. Not to dump on certain players, BUT....imagine the way 72 is playing now, having another D like Zub instead of Chabot and using the pay difference of about $4M (starting next year and then it goes up since Chabot will make $10 the year after) on a coach that can actually elevate this team.

 

[Golden_Jet]

What's DJ's current salary? When I google it, it says undisclosed. Not to dump on certain players, BUT....imagine the way 72 is playing now, having another D like Zub instead of Chabot and using the pay difference of about $4M (starting next year and then it goes up since Chabot will make $10 the year after) on a coach that can actually elevate this team.

DJ is making around 1 - 1.5 million from what I recall.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Apparently, or allegedly, DJ behind the scenes has been dealing with a lot of stuff with his young players. It has been alluded to, and maybe why the rope is so long with Drake. God only knows what really is going on there.

I’ve never heard this from anywhere. Not that I’m well connected but

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

What's DJ's current salary? When I google it, it says undisclosed. Not to dump on certain players, BUT....imagine the way 72 is playing now, having another D like Zub instead of Chabot and using the pay difference of about $4M (starting next year and then it goes up since Chabot will make $10 the year after) on a coach that can actually elevate this team.

It appeared to be as much about Melnyk philosophy on hires as it did about money, so who knows what happens. I'm optimistic the new regime will see the potential benefits of hiring well paid, qualified personnel.

 

[LevelingSolo]

What's DJ's current salary? When I google it, it says undisclosed. Not to dump on certain players, BUT....imagine the way 72 is playing now, having another D like Zub instead of Chabot and using the pay difference of about $4M (starting next year and then it goes up since Chabot will make $10 the year after) on a coach that can actually elevate this team.

You can bet he is one of the lowest salaries amongst coaches in the NHL

This team never paid up for a coach ever, hope that changes soon

 

[Union2017]

DJ is making around 1 - 1.5 million from what I recall.

That's what I though too. Let's say $1M. Now would we do better (and I am actually "pro Chabot" I always defend that guy) with another Zub type player for $4M per year and use extra $4M to pay a good coach? I am willing to bet on that.

 

[BondraTime]

Who is “we”. Like the players on the team AND us? Because I think it’s pretty evident that those games were meaningful to the players in a playoff context. 4 points out of the playoffs with 3 games in hand, or whatever it was, is in fact meaningful. Don’t know why some fans fight against that? 15%. To me 15% to make the playoffs sounds easy to bet against. But I’m not playing. So yeah I don’t doubt you sat back and we’re like “ha! 15%! “. But the players believed they could make it. And whether we like it or not (don’t know why we wouldn’t) they could make it.

Yeah in the playoff hunt by the trade deadline was a target. A realistic one. That’s where they were lol. A few points back with a few games in hand. And ya… they’re…. Now farther back after losing 4 of 5. Which ironically were against teams worse than us.

What is your opinion on meaningful games. You’ve played hockey I think? Or at least sports. If you’re 4/5 points out with 3 games in hand. Are you taking those games seriously? Are they meaningful to you and and your teammates. Or are you looking at 15%! Saying “those pessimistic fans are right on this one”.

Games are always meaningful to the players. There is a reason we have had great end of season results, the games always matter to the players.

Meaningful games to me are games that matter, with a reasonable chance at success.

Not needing to jump 6 teams, while needing to scoreboard watch 5 separate teams with over 1/4 of the season remaining. Hard to care and envision success.

Scoreboard watching 1 or 2 teams with a few games remaining? Very meaningful, there’s a very legit possibility of success.

We have our own fates in our hands? Every game is meaningful.

Needing to win in order to keep a very slight chance alive with 20 games remaining? Not meaningful in my eyes, they are holding on for dear life. There is legitimately 1/5 of the season remaining and we’re all but packed away.

Were we a much better team this year that stayed alive longer than the past 5? Yup.

Did we have a hope for the playoffs this year compared to no hope for the playoffs last year? Yup.

Were those hopes remotely likely? Nope.

Do I think the Red Wings are playing meaningful games? Nope.

I played, but that’s pretty irrelevant, many here have, and many here haven’t who know more than I do. You don’t need to play to recognize whether a game is meaningful or not. Every game mattered to me. The ones coming down to the wire where it’s win to get on, win to stay alive, with the end in sight, really mattered. There’s also a gigantic, gigantic difference between meaningful games, and games where they still have a very, very slight chance of everything goes well with the 5/6 teams above them. That’s holding out hope, and playing for the very slim chance other teams falter and everything goes right.

That’s the thing with “meaningful games”, it’s purposefully vague because it can mean whatever the person hearing it wants to. If we make the playoffs, we can say those that never expected playoffs never correctly evaluated what was meant by meaningful. We don’t make it, those who thought we would make the playoffs never correctly evaluated that we only meant we’d still be mathematically eligible with 15 hames remaining.

I’m neither, never expected to make the playoffs, but wanted to be playing for a chance with a handful of games remaining, in a 10th/9th spot. We aren’t at that point this year.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Games are always meaningful to the players. There is a reason we have had great end of season results, the games always matter to the players.

Meaningful games to me are games that matter, with a reasonable chance at success.

Not needing to jump 6 teams, while needing to scoreboard watch 5 separate teams with over 1/4 of the season remaining. Hard to care and envision success.

Scoreboard watching 1 or 2 teams with a few games remaining? Very meaningful, there’s a very legit possibility of success.

We have our own fates in our hands? Every game is meaningful.

Needing to win in order to keep a very slight chance alive with 20 games remaining? Not meaningful in my eyes, they are holding on for dear life. There is legitimately 1/5 of the season remaining and we’re all but packed away.

Were we a much better team this year that stayed alive longer than the past 5? Yup.

Did we have a hope for the playoffs this year compared to no hope for the playoffs last year? Yup.

Were those hopes remotely likely? Nope.

Do I think the Red Wings are playing meaningful games? Nope.

I played, but that’s pretty irrelevant, many here have, and many here haven’t who know more than I do. You don’t need to play to recognize whether a game is meaningful or not. Every game mattered to me. The ones coming down to the wire where it’s win to get on, win to stay alive, with the end in sight, really mattered. There’s also a gigantic, gigantic difference between meaningful games, and games where they still have a very, very slight chance of everything goes well with the 5/6 teams above them. That’s holding out hope, and playing for the very slim chance other teams falter and everything goes right.

That’s the thing with “meaningful games”, it’s purposefully vague because it can mean whatever the person hearing it wants to. If we make the playoffs, we can say those that never expected playoffs never correctly evaluated what was meant by meaningful. We don’t make it, those who thought we would make the playoffs never correctly evaluated that we only meant we’d still be mathematically eligible with 15 hames remaining.

I’m neither, never expected to make the playoffs, but wanted to be playing for a chance with a handful of games remaining, in a 10th/9th spot. We aren’t at that point this year.

Meaningful games was defined as meaningful in March near the TDL so there wasn’t a sell off.

 

[aragorn]

Games are always meaningful to the players. There is a reason we have had great end of season results, the games always matter to the players.

Meaningful games to me are games that matter, with a reasonable chance at success.

Not needing to jump 6 teams, while needing to scoreboard watch 5 separate teams with over 1/4 of the season remaining. Hard to care and envision success.

Scoreboard watching 1 or 2 teams with a few games remaining? Very meaningful, there’s a very legit possibility of success.

We have our own fates in our hands? Every game is meaningful.

Needing to win in order to keep a very slight chance alive with 20 games remaining? Not meaningful in my eyes, they are holding on for dear life. There is legitimately 1/5 of the season remaining and we’re all but packed away.

Were we a much better team this year that stayed alive longer than the past 5? Yup.

Did we have a hope for the playoffs this year compared to no hope for the playoffs last year? Yup.

Were those hopes remotely likely? Nope.

Do I think the Red Wings are playing meaningful games? Nope.

I played, but that’s pretty irrelevant, many here have, and many here haven’t who know more than I do. You don’t need to play to recognize whether a game is meaningful or not. Every game mattered to me. The ones coming down to the wire where it’s win to get on, win to stay alive, with the end in sight, really mattered. There’s also a gigantic, gigantic difference between meaningful games, and games where they still have a very, very slight chance of everything goes well with the 5/6 teams above them. That’s holding out hope, and playing for the very slim chance other teams falter and everything goes right.

That’s the thing with “meaningful games”, it’s purposefully vague because it can mean whatever the person hearing it wants to. If we make the playoffs, we can say those that never expected playoffs never correctly evaluated what was meant by meaningful. We don’t make it, those who thought we would make the playoffs never correctly evaluated that we only meant we’d still be mathematically eligible with 15 hames remaining.

I’m neither, never expected to make the playoffs, but wanted to be playing for a chance with a handful of games remaining, in a 10th/9th spot. We aren’t at that point this year.

They were playing meaningful games when they got to within 4 pts off a playoff spot with around 25 games remaining in the season. However, once Forsberg got hurt with Talbot already out there chances started to decline rapidly & losing 4 of the 5 game road trip & having to depend on their two AHL goalies has really killed their chances. But playing meaningful games in March & just missing the playoffs is where most I think thought they would be this yr including the so called experts.

 

[BondraTime]

Meaningful games was defined as meaningful in March near the TDL so there wasn’t a sell off.

I don’t consider any of these games in March meaningful, for all the reasons I stated.

If the definition of meaningful games in March is that they can still make the playoffs if they play .700+ hockey the final 24 games with help from other teams, then it’s a fundamental disagreement.

People consider them meaningful, more power to them. I don’t, not forcing anyone else to change how they view things.

 

[Golden_Jet]

I don’t consider any of these games in March meaningful, for all the reasons I stated.

If the definition of meaningful games in March is that they can still make the playoffs if they play .700+ hockey the final 24 games with help from other teams, then it’s a fundamental disagreement.

People consider them meaningful, more power to them. I don’t, not forcing anyone else to change how they view things.

Well we’ll disagree then.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Games are always meaningful to the players. There is a reason we have had great end of season results, the games always matter to the players.

Meaningful games to me are games that matter, with a reasonable chance at success.

Not needing to jump 6 teams, while needing to scoreboard watch 5 separate teams with over 1/4 of the season remaining. Hard to care and envision success.

Scoreboard watching 1 or 2 teams with a few games remaining? Very meaningful, there’s a very legit possibility of success.

We have our own fates in our hands? Every game is meaningful.

Needing to win in order to keep a very slight chance alive with 20 games remaining? Not meaningful in my eyes, they are holding on for dear life. There is legitimately 1/5 of the season remaining and we’re all but packed away.

Were we a much better team this year that stayed alive longer than the past 5? Yup.

Did we have a hope for the playoffs this year compared to no hope for the playoffs last year? Yup.

Were those hopes remotely likely? Nope.

Do I think the Red Wings are playing meaningful games? Nope.

I played, but that’s pretty irrelevant, many here have, and many here haven’t who know more than I do. You don’t need to play to recognize whether a game is meaningful or not. Every game mattered to me. The ones coming down to the wire where it’s win to get on, win to stay alive, with the end in sight, really mattered. There’s also a gigantic, gigantic difference between meaningful games, and games where they still have a very, very slight chance of everything goes well with the 5/6 teams above them. That’s holding out hope, and playing for the very slim chance other teams falter and everything goes right.

That’s the thing with “meaningful games”, it’s purposefully vague because it can mean whatever the person hearing it wants to. If we make the playoffs, we can say those that never expected playoffs never correctly evaluated what was meant by meaningful. We don’t make it, those who thought we would make the playoffs never correctly evaluated that we only meant we’d still be mathematically eligible with 15 hames remaining.

I’m neither, never expected to make the playoffs, but wanted to be playing for a chance with a handful of games remaining, in a 10th/9th spot. We aren’t at that point this year.

I said meaningful in the context of playoffs.

I think we all know what meaningful is. It’s realistically in the playoff hunt. And, in control of your own destiny.

And we were. We were in control of our own destiny. Now that’s obviously gotten away from us

We did leap frog a bunch of teams. At one point it was 4 teams for that wild card spot we were one and we were scoreboard watching 2 teams essentially.

And we had games in hand on one of those teams. Up until that Vancouver game. Shit was very very meanginful.

This whole “other teams were ahead leapfrog. “ I mean that’s not on us. They won and lost their games throughout the season as well. We all were around the same points. Going for the same spots. Whether we have other teams around us or not should hold no baring on how meaningful the games played are or how important they are to make the playoffs or not.

If we had blown ahead of those teams then we would simply be a playoff team. Which we obviously are not. We wanted to be in the hunt around the deadline. And we were. The fact that there were 3-4-5 other teams also in the hunt means nothing to me

 

[aragorn]

I don’t consider any of these games in March meaningful, for all the reasons I stated.

If the definition of meaningful games in March is that they can still make the playoffs if they play .700+ hockey the final 24 games with help from other teams, then it’s a fundamental disagreement.

People consider them meaningful, more power to them. I don’t, not forcing anyone else to change how they view things.

They were 4 pts out of a playoff spot in March, how is that not meaningful?

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Is this roster on paper much worse than the 16/17 and 17/18 Leafs that made the playoffs, or is it just goaltending?

 

[Golden_Jet]

Why would anyone think, it comes down to one thing(ie goaltending ) over 82 games.

 

[BondraTime]

They were 4 pts out of a playoff spot in March, how is that not meaningful?

All the exact reasons I've stated already

Again, if you find it meaningful, more power to you.