Proposal: Fire DJ Smith

[BondraTime]

Anyone holding their breath, thinking new ownership/group will purchase, and take control of the Ottawa franchise, and immediately fire the Coach, GM, scouts and Sparticat, should put those thoughts on hold.

PD might decide, on his own, to make a coaching change, but new ownership is not about to take control anytime soon.



from Sunday….
”We’ve been led to believe the website will be shut down Dec. 31, with bidding to open on New Year’s Day. It could move quickly from there, and, depending on how the league’s vetting process, we could have a good idea by mid-January who will purchase the Senators.

From there, completing the paperwork could take four to six months, but everybody involved here is hoping a deal will be finalized by June. That would be a best-case scenario as the clock is ticking with the NCC wanting to have a lease agreement done by September.”

GARRIOCH: Bidding for Senators about to get serious as Ryan Reynolds steps up efforts to be part of a group

It's believed the 46-year-old Canadian actor has talked with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to express formal interest in the franchise.

ottawasun.com

Nobody is expecting that, that’s just a scenario you’re making up in your head and constantly running with for some bizarre reason.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

Nobody is expecting that, that’s just a scenario you’re making up in your head and constantly running with for some bizarre reason.

You may not be one of those holding your breath, but there are others who have expressed their desire to see new ownership take control asap, and make immediate changes with the coach and GM.

i’m not expressing support for either the coach or the GM, I’m just taking a look at reality, and how things will unfold with the impending sale of the franchise

 

[BondraTime]

You may not be one of those holding your breath, but there are others who have expressed their desire to see new ownership take control asap, and make immediate changes with the coach and GM.

i’m not expressing support for either the coach or the GM, I’m just taking a look at reality, and how things will unfold with the impending sale of the franchise

You quite literally made an example of me, putting words in my mouth, saying that’s what I’m expecting.

 

[atmx093]

Can someone legitimately say with 100% confidence that if DJ and Dorion were let go today that they'd be able to find another job in the NHL with the same job titles?

Since the Sens came back in '92, there have been TWO coaches who went on to continue as head coaches elsewhere in the NHL. Ottawa is where coaching careers come to die.

 

[Micklebot]

Ottawa has has had 9 coaches since the last coach let go by the Sens was rehired as a head coach elsewhere (Jacques Martin).

It’s unlikely that streak is broken with Smith.

We've got some odd track records for coaches

Boucher comes in to immediate success going to the ECF, fired two seasons later and nobody wants him

MacLean brought in as a highly touted up and coming assistant out of Det, nominated for a jack adams one year and wins it the next, fired and never given another shot.

DJ Smith doesn't have the track record either of those guys have and they haven't gotten a sniff. He'll likely have to go the assistant route before getting another stab at HC.

 

[Cosmix]

you been waiting for just the right moment to drop that one, haven't you

I have had only a few; but quality matters.

 

[Flamingo]

We've got some odd track records for coaches

Boucher comes in to immediate success going to the ECF, fired two seasons later and nobody wants him

MacLean brought in as a highly touted up and coming assistant out of Det, nominated for a jack adams one year and wins it the next, fired and never given another shot.

DJ Smith doesn't have the track record either of those guys have and they haven't gotten a sniff. He'll likely have to go the assistant route before getting another stab at HC.

Boucher was offered coaching jobs, but chose to spend time with his family.

 

[GCK]

DJ will get another shot at some point, not right away but eventually.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDoo]

DJ will get another shot at some point, not right away but eventually.

I will be shocked if DJ Smith ever lands another HC job. Absolutely shocked.

 

[Micklebot]

Boucher was offered coaching jobs, but chose to spend time with his family.

As a HC in the NHL? Haven't heard that, but there's a difference between teams looking to interview him and being offered a job. I can't see any team straight up offering him the job without interviewing him and other candidates first, and doubt he's going to interview only to turn a team down to spend time with his family. Maybe I'm wrong...

 

[Flamingo]

As a HC in the NHL? Haven't heard that, but there's a difference between teams looking to interview him and being offered a job. I can't see any team straight up offering him the job without interviewing him and other candidates first, and doubt he's going to interview only to turn a team down to spend time with his family. Maybe I'm wrong...

From his own lips. But he could have been telling stories.

He lost his father as a teenager. He wanted to be present for his daughter through those years.

 

[Micklebot]

From his own lips. But he could have been telling stories.

Fair enough, I suspect MTL gave him a call since we let go...

 

[bert]

Anyone holding their breath, thinking new ownership/group will purchase, and take control of the Ottawa franchise, and immediately fire the Coach, GM, scouts and Sparticat, should put those thoughts on hold.

PD might decide, on his own, to make a coaching change, but new ownership is not about to take control anytime soon.



from Sunday….
”We’ve been led to believe the website will be shut down Dec. 31, with bidding to open on New Year’s Day. It could move quickly from there, and, depending on how the league’s vetting process, we could have a good idea by mid-January who will purchase the Senators.

From there, completing the paperwork could take four to six months, but everybody involved here is hoping a deal will be finalized by June. That would be a best-case scenario as the clock is ticking with the NCC wanting to have a lease agreement done by September.”

GARRIOCH: Bidding for Senators about to get serious as Ryan Reynolds steps up efforts to be part of a group

It's believed the 46-year-old Canadian actor has talked with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to express formal interest in the franchise.

ottawasun.com

Anyone claiming to know for certain what new ownership will or wont do is a strawman argument. However if you use any deductive reasoning or look historically when franchises are sold will see the logical decision is to bring in their own people. Thats what always happens. So yes that probably happens. I guarantee any new ownership wont want the team making any major moves until they take control.

June would be a very good time for new ownership to hire new management.

I will tell you this for certain if Alfie is involved Dorion is a gonner.

 

[Coors19]

I think DJ has done his job. He instilled a great work ethic and developed the kids but he's clearly not the guy to take this team next level. I think it would be a big mistake to fire DJ and just have one of his assistants take over. I believe this team needs a veteran guy who has been through the playoffs, can navigate the league and preaches structure. Trotz is the guy that comes to mind but I don't think that's a possibility, but Claude Julien could be the perfect fit for what this team needs. Who else would you want to see take this team to the next level?

 

[Samsquanch]

I will be shocked if DJ Smith ever lands another HC job. Absolutely shocked.

Same here. Thats not even to say that he's been that bad. Its just that this is a very competitive job market, like literally there are only 32 of these jobs available in the world. And you have a very limited/brief amount of time to show what your capable of while your in the drivers seat. And I dont think DJ has ever showed enough good to balance out the bad imo.

I mean heck, look at Paul Maclean who even won the Jack Adams - he never got another chance to be a head HC, and very likely never will again. He was passed long ago by the new crop of "fresh faced young coaches" - like DJ Smith was once considered to be when the Sens hired him 4 years ago.

 

[swiftwin]

We've got some odd track records for coaches

Boucher comes in to immediate success going to the ECF, fired two seasons later and nobody wants him

MacLean brought in as a highly touted up and coming assistant out of Det, nominated for a jack adams one year and wins it the next, fired and never given another shot.

DJ Smith doesn't have the track record either of those guys have and they haven't gotten a sniff. He'll likely have to go the assistant route before getting another stab at HC.

I'd say DJ Smith was pretty highly touted, if not moreso than MacLean. There were a few teams that tried to talk to him, but the Leafs shut them down every time. IIRC, even we wanted to talk to him back when we hired Boucher.

Toronto Maple Leafs: D.J. Smith Great Fit For NY Rangers

The NHLPA players poll indicated that D.J. Smith, assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs would be a good fit as a head coach.

editorinleaf.com

For some reason, teams love to recycle the same coaches that get fired every few seasons over and over. But look at the teams that win the cup. Cooper and Bednar are both on their first NHL coaching jobs.

 

[Silencio]

For some reason, teams love to recycle the same coaches that get fired every few seasons over and over. But look at the teams that win the cup. Cooper and Bednar are both on their first NHL coaching jobs.

Not sure there's really a correlation there...prior to Bednar and Cooper the previous 6 coaches to win a Cup were not on their first head coaching gig.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Not sure there's really a correlation there...prior to Bednar and Cooper the previous 6 coaches to win a Cup were not on their first head coaching gig.

Bednar and Cooper also have a combined two non-playoff years between them, and the one year Tampa missed was riddled with injuries.

DJ Smith shouldn't even be in the same paragraph as these two.

 

[swiftwin]

I'm 1000% behind the Barry Trotz train.

I found this quote to be interesting....

“I would if it made sense. I would be quite honest with the team though ideally for me it would be after January,” said Trotz when asked if he would consider joining a team.

Isn't that roughly the timeline when we expect new ownership to settle in? Is Trotz discreetly pulling a Ryan Reynolds?!?!

In the interview, he said “feels refreshed” and would “feel comfortable” if the right team or situation came his way as of now.

The makeup of this roster and Trotz's coach style are a match made in heaven. We have the size, speed, aggression and ability to win board battles that's required to play in Trotz's dump and chase style of play. I can't see why Trotz would say no if new ownership threw enough money at him. I also can't see why new ownership wouldn't want to throw money at him to make a splash.

Trotz says he hasn't received offers, but would consider a return

Though he has yet to receive any formal offers from teams, Barry Trotz has made it clear that if the right job offer came his way, he would strongly consider getting back behind the bench.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[Gil Gunderson]

“hard working” is a team identity now? Those other teams who actually have winning records don’t work hard.

 

[coladin]

“hard working” is a team identity now? Those other teams who actually have winning records don’t work hard.

When you are super skilled and hard working, you should win

 

[BondraTime]

Hard work beats skill when skill doesn’t work hard. Heard that all the way up, and it was true, up until you get to the CHL level, where everyone is working hard; full stop. Would be true in the NHL as well, but every single team and player is working hard.

Unfortunately, every single NHL team works hard, and the vast majority have just as much/more skill, to go along with a bought in, working system and game plan.

Working hard isn’t an identity, it’s a given. Every single team works hard. Every iteration of the Sens, with any possible variation of coach or system, should be working hard.

 

[Philadelphia Collins]

“hard working” is a team identity now? Those other teams who actually have winning records don’t work hard.

This would have been an acceptable quote in the last two seasons, nobody really cares about moral victories now lol

 

[LevelingSolo]

We've got some odd track records for coaches

Boucher comes in to immediate success going to the ECF, fired two seasons later and nobody wants him

MacLean brought in as a highly touted up and coming assistant out of Det, nominated for a jack adams one year and wins it the next, fired and never given another shot.

DJ Smith doesn't have the track record either of those guys have and they haven't gotten a sniff. He'll likely have to go the assistant route before getting another stab at HC.

MacLean legit forgot how to coach after the 2012-2013 Jack Adams season. I'll never forget how much he enjoyed deploying Greening/Smith/Neil on the ice, and his love for Chris Phillips

 

[bert]

You may not be one of those holding your breath, but there are others who have expressed their desire to see new ownership take control asap, and make immediate changes with the coach and GM.

i’m not expressing support for either the coach or the GM, I’m just taking a look at reality, and how things will unfold with the impending sale of the franchise

I dont really think you are looking at it realistically though. You seem to think new ownership wont be putting their own people in place which is what happens 95% of the time.