Proposal: Fire DJ Smith

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Coaches are hired to be fired.

Players are happy, there's unity in the room...and the guys sleepwalk through a third of their games.

We may not need a Sutter type coach, but we do need a guy who will push these kids a bit more. We can't afford to wait until December to start playing hard. Not if we want to make a real push for the playoffs, instead of this "meaningful games" bs.

 

[BoardsofCanada]

The coaching is not what is hurting this team. It's the absence of consistent, elite goaltening. I know it's easier said than done but that is what this team needs to take the next step.

 

[Ice-Tray]

I don’t doubt Timmy likes DJ. Players can’t always get what they want and maybe they all need to step outside of their comfort zone and play for a different coach

Maybe, but I mean Timmy just joined 4 other superstars as the onl players to put up 87 points by 21 years old. Methinks that maybe he likes the coach and is also developing wonderfully because of the situation he’s in.

But I mean I could be wrong, and he could be wrong, and all the angry armchair coaches on HFSens could be right….

The objective word on the Sens from around the league is that they are a well coached team that works hard, and is on the rise. That doesn’t sound like the expert opinions in here so I’m conflicted.

Do I go with what virtually every out of town announcers say, what other players and coaches say about our team and staff, do I trust what my eyes see, and the direction we’ve been travelling, or do I trust the opinions of people who seem a lot less rational, and a lot more personally angry.

Hate to say it but what I see are a lot of people who struggle to process emotions like an adult, and who confuse their angry subjective opinions for objective ones.

 

[Mark Stones Spleen]

So they like their coach. The players are happy. There is unity in the room. But you want to bring some hard ass that's going to scream and bench them(Sutter in Calgary). And you'll wonder why our players start slumping and eventually ask for a trade. Great plan.

I see, it's binary. They either have to be a bendover Kumbaya type or a Tortorella. The middle ground doesn't exist.

 

[Wondercarrot]

Coaches are hired to be fired.

Players are happy, there's unity in the room...and the guys sleepwalk through a third of their games.

We may not need a Sutter type coach, but we do need a guy who will push these kids a bit more. We can't afford to wait until December to start playing hard. Not if we want to make a real push for the playoffs, instead of this "meaningful games" bs.

Sutter can get right the f*** out, zero interest in having him here.
Not the type personality I want around this team,
I think players can be held accountable without being like Sutter.
I’d much rather have Torterella than Sutter, Torterella has fire, but also seems to enjoy it all while Sutter seems like a miserable prick - or plays dumb to effect that role.

I’m really torn about DJ.
I’m not sure he the right guy, but also not sure he’s the wrong guy for this group right now.
Also you bring in a new coach, sure the players can learn a new system, and adapt to a new coach - is that really what we want to be doing to open the season next year? How long does it take them to adapt?
I think this team can take it to another level with or without DJ, but in the balance I’m not sure I’d like to introduce a bunch of new variables.

 

[Sens Vader]

Maybe, but I mean Timmy just joined 4 other superstars as the onl players to put up 87 points by 21 years old. Methinks that maybe he likes the coach and is also developing wonderfully because of the situation he’s in.

But I mean I could be wrong, and he could be wrong, and all the angry armchair coaches on HFSens could be right….

The objective word on the Sens from around the league is that they are a well coached team that works hard, and is on the rise. That doesn’t sound like the expert opinions in here so I’m conflicted.

Do I go with what virtually every out of town announcers say, what other players and coaches say about our team and staff, do I trust what my eyes see, and the direction we’ve been travelling, or do I trust the opinions of people who seem a lot less rational, and a lot more personally angry.

Hate to say it but what I see are a lot of people who struggle to process emotions like an adult, and who confuse their angry subjective opinions for objective ones.

I mean several media members who cover this team have questioned the coaching staff this season. Out of town announcers almost never criticize coaches, its also very rare for other coaches to criticize each other - although Nashville's coach said we don't play with much of a system but are good at scramble plays (which is exactly in line with the eye test)

We are objectively a hard-working team, DJ is also an extremely likable guy.

It's not so black and white, in the sense of "is DJ a great coach or a terrible coach" - It's simply a question of if a specific change can take this to the next level. Whatever positives DJ has been able to bring as a coach are still learned attributes the players will take with them moving forward.

Cassidy got fired last off-season, DeBoer got fired last off-season. These guys are good coaches, they are both having success this year, but both teams probably made the right call.

I personally think DJ's flaws outweigh his positive attributes, specifically at this stage of the rebuild. I think going from horrible to mediocre is not the same as moving from middle of the pack to contender. DJ has no previous track record of success at this level that I can fall back on.

I want a change, but you have to make the right change - find the right coach or make the right coaching adjustment (i.e new assistants) to move this forward.

There is a logical argument to firing him and keeping him, it's not "expert opinions and silly emotional ones". Firing him is one step in replacing him with a new coach, and whoever that "new coach" may be will be the biggest driving factor in choosing to fire DJ. Just as it was for Boston and Vegas - they both got the coach they wanted.

I hope they make the right choice as pressure is on next season

 

[Senscore]

How the f*** are we still arguing about DJ Smith of all people.

We were 26th in the league last year, and by adding a bunch of talent that's maxed out our spending, and with the development of young players that have already exceeded expectations, we made it to . . .

21st in the league.


We jumped over exactly ONE team in the division.

Get DJ the f*** out of here so we can all move on. His fans can follow him to whatever junior team he ends up with.

 

[Ice-Tray]

I mean several media members who cover this team have questioned the coaching staff this season. Out of town announcers almost never criticize coaches, its also very rare for other coaches to criticize each other - although Nashville's coach said we don't play with much of a system but are good at scramble plays (which is exactly in line with the eye test)

We are objectively a hard-working team, DJ is also an extremely likable guy.

It's not so black and white, in the sense of "is DJ a great coach or a terrible coach" - It's simply a question of if a specific change can take this to the next level. Whatever positives DJ has been able to bring as a coach are still learned attributes the players will take with them moving forward.

Cassidy got fired last off-season, DeBoer got fired last off-season. These guys are good coaches, they are both having success this year, but both teams probably made the right call.

I personally think DJ's flaws outweigh his positive attributes, specifically at this stage of the rebuild. I think going from horrible to mediocre is not the same as moving from middle of the pack to contender. DJ has no previous track record of success at this level that I can fall back on.

I want a change, but you have to make the right change - find the right coach or make the right coaching adjustment (i.e new assistants) to move this forward.

There is a logical argument to firing him and keeping him, it's not "expert opinions and silly emotional ones". Firing him is one step in replacing him with a new coach, and whoever that "new coach" may be will be the biggest driving factor in choosing to fire DJ. Just as it was for Boston and Vegas - they both got the coach they wanted.

I hope they make the right choice as pressure is on next season

I appreciate your opinion and post here, you make several good points.

 

[SensHulk]

Andrew Brunette.

 

[JD1]

I mean several media members who cover this team have questioned the coaching staff this season. Out of town announcers almost never criticize coaches, its also very rare for other coaches to criticize each other - although Nashville's coach said we don't play with much of a system but are good at scramble plays (which is exactly in line with the eye test)

We are objectively a hard-working team, DJ is also an extremely likable guy.

It's not so black and white, in the sense of "is DJ a great coach or a terrible coach" - It's simply a question of if a specific change can take this to the next level. Whatever positives DJ has been able to bring as a coach are still learned attributes the players will take with them moving forward.

Cassidy got fired last off-season, DeBoer got fired last off-season. These guys are good coaches, they are both having success this year, but both teams probably made the right call.

I personally think DJ's flaws outweigh his positive attributes, specifically at this stage of the rebuild. I think going from horrible to mediocre is not the same as moving from middle of the pack to contender. DJ has no previous track record of success at this level that I can fall back on.

I want a change, but you have to make the right change - find the right coach or make the right coaching adjustment (i.e new assistants) to move this forward.

There is a logical argument to firing him and keeping him, it's not "expert opinions and silly emotional ones". Firing him is one step in replacing him with a new coach, and whoever that "new coach" may be will be the biggest driving factor in choosing to fire DJ. Just as it was for Boston and Vegas - they both got the coach they wanted.

I hope they make the right choice as pressure is on next season

That wasn't what the Nashville quote was. The Nashville quote was a positive noting they can make something out of nothing.

Re @Ice-Tray point about objective versus subjective. If you start running down the list of what's objectively true, it looks like this:
1. Development of young players looks great
2. PP looks pretty good
3. PK looks pretty good
4. Did you see the odd man rush data? Looks pretty good
5. You see the WAR injury data? Looks like we were more impacted by injuries than all but 3 teams.
6. So called advanced stat data like cf, xGF, scf, HDCF all place us in the top half of the league.

All that data points to the W/L record being the outlier based on data.

The one problem we had was goaltending. 7 goalies. Only once in league history has a team used 8.

I'm not really committed one way or the other to keeping DJ or firing the man.

But objectively looking at the year we've been through he and his coaching team have this ship moving in the right direction

When you start asking what's repeatable next year, the positive points above likely are repeatable. The one thing that stands out is injuries. 7 goalies is probably not repeatable. We're a deeper team next year based on what we've been through this year, but to move into the upper third of teams, we need better results in the health department

 

[Nosswor]

DJ Smith should only ever be an assistant coach. I'm sure he would be fantastic at this job, but he's in over his head when it comes to being a head coach.

 

[GCK]

Coaches are hired to be fired.

Players are happy, there's unity in the room...and the guys sleepwalk through a third of their games.

We may not need a Sutter type coach, but we do need a guy who will push these kids a bit more. We can't afford to wait until December to start playing hard. Not if we want to make a real push for the playoffs, instead of this "meaningful games" bs.

The team did not sleepwalk through a 3rd of their games. As the younger players continued to develop this year the team’s defensive play improved. I’m good with a new coaching staff but unless Dorion is replaced I think we are in trouble.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

So they like their coach. The players are happy. There is unity in the room. But you want to bring some hard ass that's going to scream and bench them(Sutter in Calgary). And you'll wonder why our players start slumping and eventually ask for a trade. Great plan.

Are there only two options? DJ who the players love. And sutter who they hate?

 

[Very Stable Genius]

If we get a new coach, that person has to fix Drake Batherson. He needs to be hard on him and get him more engaged, not reward him with an A.

 

[Spotlight]

There's a chance that if the Lightning can't get through the first round (given how the last part of the season went that Cooper might get fired) If that's the case we should take a look at him to be a candidate to come in.

Otherwise, i'm still hoping the Quennville can have his chat with the league and be allowed to come back and that he comes back to us.

I know both are possibly going to need more money than we typically spend on coaches but with new ownership coming in, i don't think that hockey ops will be as tight budget wise as we used to be.

 

[bicboi64]

There's a chance that if the Lightning can't get through the first round (given how the last part of the season went that Cooper might get fired) If that's the case we should take a look at him to be a candidate to come in.

Otherwise, i'm still hoping the Quennville can have his chat with the league and be allowed to come back and that he comes back to us.

I know both are possibly going to need more money than we typically spend on coaches but with new ownership coming in, i don't think that hockey ops will be as tight budget wise as we used to be.

100% for Cooper, but absolutely no to Quenneville

 

[JD1]

100% for Cooper, but absolutely no to Quenneville

Been thinking about Quenneville. No. Shouldn't happen. He was in Chicago when things that should never happen happened. No. Not him.

 

[Silencio]

Been thinking about Quenneville. No. Shouldn't happen. He was in Chicago when things that should never happen happened. No. Not him.

It's not just that he was in Chicago, it's that he a) was 100% aware of what was happening, b) attempted to cover it up c) wrote a positive recommendation for Brad Aldrich after he had resigned from the Blackhawks

 

[JD1]

It's not just that he was in Chicago, it's that he a) was 100% aware of what was happening, b) attempted to cover it up c) wrote a positive recommendation for Brad Aldrich after he had resigned from the Blackhawks

Ya, I'm aware. Not him.

 

[Ice-Tray]

There is no chance that Q would be brought in here. You just can’t. That is a public relations nightmare in a Canadian city where hockey is king/queen and the media is all over everything.

Add in the potential for a tv series following the team with RR, and there is no chance youd want that negative baggage.

Its hard imagining Formy coming back under the same situation under this premise to be honest.

 

[Alf Silfversson]

Why is DJ Smith trying to destroy our rookie, stud, burgeoning star, defenseman by playing him 30 minutes in meaningless games?

We've seen this movie before.

 

[bert]

How the f*** are we still arguing about DJ Smith of all people.

We were 26th in the league last year, and by adding a bunch of talent that's maxed out our spending, and with the development of young players that have already exceeded expectations, we made it to . . .

21st in the league.


We jumped over exactly ONE team in the division.

Get DJ the f*** out of here so we can all move on. His fans can follow him to whatever junior team he ends up with.

Volatile post here, yikes. They lost alot too, there was alot of turnover. The team was better but not by how much you are describing it. He has created an amazing culture where the players care about one another and work really hard. This team was 4th best in terms of rush chances this year, there is alot that went wrong based on individual execution. I think this team could have better accountability and systems but its not as black and white as you make it seem. Special teams were outstanding this year. Thats coaching. Goaltending was horrid thats not coaching.

I think a new coach could definitely help, its probably time for a new voice but that has to be the right coach. I could see someone come in and be worse too.

Most of all I dont trust Dorion to choose. I think a new GM with a new vision picks a new coach. Dorion is a way bigger issue than DJ.

 

[Ice-Tray]

Why is DJ Smith trying to destroy our rookie, stud, burgeoning star, defenseman by playing him 30 minutes in meaningless games?

We've seen this movie before.

Ah yes, the HFSens myth that Chabot has been conditioned to make mistakes because he played too much too often In the past. Come on, that’s bullshit.

Jake can probably handle a handful of games near 30 to round out the season with 4 top four defenders out. It’s good experience, and if we were in the hunt he’d have to carry that load to help keep the ship afloat.

Good D can play those minutes when needed, it’s not going to harm his development, quite the opposite I’d wager.

 

[JD1]

This team was 4th best in terms of rush chances this year

This right here.... it's amazing to me the things that get expressed here, repeated, over and over, and accepted as fact.

4th in odd man rushes differential. Yet I read here that we lack creativity and simply dump and chase and that our down low forecheck causes odd man rushes the other way.

 

[NyQuil]

This right here.... it's amazing to me the things that get expressed here, repeated, over and over, and accepted as fact.

4th in odd man rushes differential. Yet I read here that we lack creativity and simply dump and chase and that our down low forecheck causes odd man rushes the other way.

Isn't the criticism that our wingers leave the defensive zone too early?

That stat would seem to corroborate that.

More odd-man rushes, but more defensive zone turnovers that lead to goals against.