So some fans here used the elite PP and the PK as the stats to defend smith. We finished 8th on the pp. and 14 on the pk…..nothing special about that.
Proposal: Fire DJ Smith
- Thread starter KevinRedkey
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DJ is an okay coach to me, and under Melnyk when we had no money, I feel like he was as good as we could hope for. Having said that, I hope this team just pays up for a good, proven coach for once. It’s not even a knock on DJ, but the team HAS to take the next step next season and if there’s a strong option out there then it’s time to make that move.
Mark Stones Spleen
Trouba's elbow
I hope that was his last game, really do. His next role should be as an assistant, strongly doubt he gets a HC position again in the near future.
Paul MacLean was better than DJ and he's still been an assistant on 3 different teams.
Paul MacLean was better than DJ and he's still been an assistant on 3 different teams.
If the season played out the way it did with steady goal-tending and Norris in the line up for even 50% of the games, at most consider the idea.
If new ownership decides to do a full sweep and let everyone go no matter how well or bad they preformed so be it.
Under any other circumstances even if I wanted him gone, which I don't, I can't find enough reasons to do it. The goalie mess was not his doing, no one expected goal-tending to do and be what it did and was, despite that situation the team
- had a winning record
- kept things from fully imploding early in the season and guided the team back into the playoff race, just as it seemed the season was a wash
- had a very good PP, can't remember the last time the Sens were actually a threat on the PP
- how much impact he had or if any on the development of TS I don't know, what I do know that TS now looks and plays like a franchise player with DJ is his coach
- fair amount of players have improved and showed growth
- didn't have the teams number 1 center for pretty much the whole season, and yes that's a huge loss, it seems as many here underestimate or choose to ignore the importance of a player like him being in the line up and the far from ideal impact his absence created as acknowledging it makes it a unfair disadvantage DJ had to deal with
- this would be a playoff bound team had it not be for the goalie circus and missing Norris
If new ownership decides to do a full sweep and let everyone go no matter how well or bad they preformed so be it.
Under any other circumstances even if I wanted him gone, which I don't, I can't find enough reasons to do it. The goalie mess was not his doing, no one expected goal-tending to do and be what it did and was, despite that situation the team
- had a winning record
- kept things from fully imploding early in the season and guided the team back into the playoff race, just as it seemed the season was a wash
- had a very good PP, can't remember the last time the Sens were actually a threat on the PP
- how much impact he had or if any on the development of TS I don't know, what I do know that TS now looks and plays like a franchise player with DJ is his coach
- fair amount of players have improved and showed growth
- didn't have the teams number 1 center for pretty much the whole season, and yes that's a huge loss, it seems as many here underestimate or choose to ignore the importance of a player like him being in the line up and the far from ideal impact his absence created as acknowledging it makes it a unfair disadvantage DJ had to deal with
- this would be a playoff bound team had it not be for the goalie circus and missing Norris
Agent Zuuuub
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You know what likely doesn't matter? The thoughts and opinions of the online disgruntled mob.
Micklebot
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- Apr 27, 2010
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Best shut down this site since their opinions don't matter, glad you cleared that up, everyone here has been wasting their time....
Apologies. Wasn't meant to be snarky at you, but certainly could understand you interpreting that way.
You're a guy that is always looking at things from different angles. Time and again in the past 6 months you've gone to great lengths to point out issues that caused this season to not result in us in the playoffs. All valid points, starting with no one pencilled us into a playoff spot even with a healthy year which we clearly did not have.
Dorion's and DJ's track record certainly will be examined by new ownership. That seems pretty logical. Where this team is, what it is building, the players signed and the numbers/years they're signed for all look good.
But there's no appeasing the mob. There's a disgruntled component to any online community. Loud and vocal. I don't personally find it's reflective of the general population nor do I find their opinions well grounded. Or worthy of consideration when considering the tenure of the two.
I'm good with change for change sake. If it happens, we should place a private bet early on what the mob grabs a hold of first.
Something people should consider. Businesses care about the opinions of their customers. But there's a difference between being a customer and an online fan.
Micklebot
Moderator
- Apr 27, 2010
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All good, hadn't had my coffee yet, so I probably took it a little different than I normally would. Sry for that.
There will always be some complaints, fair or not, but wanting change after six years of missing the playoffs isn't unexpected even if the guys have done some good things. Adding new ownership and expectations of a change of guard get even more of a push
Dorion and DJ aren't as bad as some believe, grass is always greener I suppose, but there is definitely potential to upgrade imo.
AchtzehnBaby
Global Matador
Sens Vader
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AchtzehnBaby
Global Matador
Liver, do you think some of this stuff is related to goaltending being horrendous?
Sens Vader
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gotta be multiple factors, but its a good snapshot of where we fit this season
AchtzehnBaby
Global Matador
Agent Zuuuub
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YouGotAStuGoing
Registered User
“The heat is fair. You’re in Canada and that’s fair. People want their teams in the playoffs and when you don’t make it, who do you blame right away? You blame the coach,” Smith said. “And I know criticism is part of the job. But part of my job is blocking that out and doing the best with what we have.”
theathletic.com
Smith agrees the heat is fair. Why can't some posters?
Senators 'believe we're a playoff team' but will have to wait another season to prove it
The Senators missed the playoffs by that minuscule margin — six points — in 2022-23 but believe next year they should break through.
theathletic.com
Smith agrees the heat is fair. Why can't some posters?
AchtzehnBaby
Global Matador
“The heat is fair. You’re in Canada and that’s fair. People want their teams in the playoffs and when you don’t make it, who do you blame right away? You blame the coach,” Smith said. “And I know criticism is part of the job. But part of my job is blocking that out and doing the best with what we have.”
Senators 'believe we're a playoff team' but will have to wait another season to prove it
The Senators missed the playoffs by that minuscule margin — six points — in 2022-23 but believe next year they should break through.
Smith agrees the heat is fair. Why can't some posters?
Of course he made some bad moves... I am on the get rid of him train as well... just stating the facts.... it isn't a slam dunk he is turfed. We don't want a bad decision and a new crappy coach that doesn't meld with the team.
YouGotAStuGoing
Registered User
Huh. Fair enough. Couldn't have guessed you were based on your posts.
Is there any young player, or anyone for that matter, going to criticize their coach?
Marner also praised Babcock for making him a better player despite what happened in that locker room. Not saying DJ is being abusive to the players like Babcock was, but the point is, you evaluate coaches based off their results and the trends in their coaching.
Sens Vader
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Tough to fire a coach when your top players love him this much
Hope they bolster the assistants at least
Hope they bolster the assistants at least
Alf Silfversson
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It's kind of career suicide for a young player to criticize his coach. Hockey culture hates that sort of thing. DJ Smith is a player friendly coach so I'd bet that Stützle likes him as a person. Doesn't mean he thinks he's a good coach.
Also, a player saying "we wouldn't be where we are now without the coach" while they book their April tee off times is not quite the ringing endorsement some might think it is.
SensHulk
Registered User
Didn’t Patrick Kane cry when Denis Savard was fired at the start of the 2008 season or something? And then they brought in Joel Quenneville and won a bunch of cups.
If DJ is fired, the young superstars will need to find a way to cope with it for the greater good. His personality and rapport with the players shouldn’t trump how he deploys his system that has not worked for 4 years.
No team in the NHL puts up with such underachieving for this long…I wonder why…
If DJ is fired, the young superstars will need to find a way to cope with it for the greater good. His personality and rapport with the players shouldn’t trump how he deploys his system that has not worked for 4 years.
No team in the NHL puts up with such underachieving for this long…I wonder why…
BonHoonLayneCornell
Registered User
Its hard to shake that "I was hired because I was the best cheap option" label that applied under Melnyk. I think it hurts the perception around both DJ and PD and some success is the only thing that will change that.
I'm fine either way at this point, lets just get some professional ownership finally and start there.
I'm fine either way at this point, lets just get some professional ownership finally and start there.
aragorn
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They have been rebuilding for the past 4 yrs & never had the roster to win anything. Is Andre Tourney a bad coach because Arz has been so bad for so many yrs? I think given how improved this team was this yr that he will get another yr along with PD. There are plenty of good signs with this team going into next yr, lots of positives, however it will all depend on new ownership & what they decide.
- Stutzle is turning into a superstar (90 pts)
- Tkachuk is becoming a premier powerforward in the NHL (83 pts)
- Giroux just had his best season ever (79 pts)
- DBC did not produce 40 goals but still had a decent yr (66 pts)
- Batherson having a down yr defensively stil had (62 pts)
- 5 guys over 60 pts is quite rare
- Chabot had a down yr & should bounce back next season
- Norris only played 8 games & hopefully returns to 2022 level
- Sanderson emerged as a potential superstar
- Pinto had a great yr playing his first full season (20 goals)
- Zub had a down yr due to injuries & should be much better
- Brannstrom took a giant leap forward this yr
- Kleven & Greig look like they could be good players
- ended with 6 pts out of a playoff spot
- goaltending let them down in the end, they need to find a new starter
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