Proposal: Fire DJ Smith

[Joeyjoejoe]

Just shows that the dude has nothing to offer other than repeating the same things over and over thinking it’s a strategy or an identity.

Working hard isn’t a strategy nor an identity as every team in the league already does that. How the hell does that differentiate you from everyone else?

It just shows that this dude is a junior coach where he can just repeat the whole hard work mantra every time to his kids and it’s works in that league (barely).

Dude belongs in the CHL, not the big leagues.

 

[swiftwin]

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

I went and found this interesting read:

Paul Maclean: His Fall From Grace

A bit of insight into Paul Maclean and coaching as a whole.

www.silversevensens.com

This quote stood out:

When Bryan Murray was asked in his interview on Tuesday about Maclean, he said "My note to him today was the players liked the old Paul. They liked the guy that sat and talked to them, that treated them in a more easygoing fashion, that taught and not confronted." Maclean himself said that he decided to be more demanding of his players. This could very well be the reason why Maclean had success in his previous two years and seemed to have the players buy in compared to this year.

I like to think of the old Maclean as a teacher – the kind that inspired you to learn and work hard. The kind that you knew believed in you and wanted to see you succeed. Sounds nice (maybe nostalgic for some), doesn’t it? It's possible that the Senators want a democratic, collaborative coach as opposed to an authoritarian (see John Tortorella for details). It appears to me that the Senators want their old teacher back - you know, the lovable fisherman from Antigonish?

Basically Paul lost the room. Something DJ clearly hasn't done.

 

[bert]

I went and found this interesting read:

Paul Maclean: His Fall From Grace

A bit of insight into Paul Maclean and coaching as a whole.

www.silversevensens.com

This quote stood out:


Basically Paul lost the room. Something DJ clearly hasn't done.

All signs point to DJ losing the room, theyre not playing anything like they were in the first 10 games. Lazy plays with no concequences, no continuity. They arent listening anymore.

I think they lost it different ways. DJ was more eventually a message gets stale when you lose for this long. Even if they like him.

 

[Silencio]

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.

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

I remember reading somewhere that Maclean deferred a lot to Alfie during those first couple of seasons, once Alfie left Maclean morphed into a hardass "my way or the highway" type coach which didn't go over well. Not sure how much truth there is to that.

Edit: @swiftwin posted the article basically backing this up

 

[Alf Silfversson]

All signs point to DJ losing the room, theyre not playing anything like they were in the first 10 games. Lazy plays with no concequences, no continuity. They arent listening anymore.

I think they lost it different ways. DJ was more eventually a message gets stale when you lose for this long. Even if they like him.

Not to mention most of these guys have played for high level coaches at some point in their careers. They can see what's working and what's not. They also know that "working hard" is not a game plan. They probably have ideas about adjustments that need to be made and aren't getting any support from the staff on that front.

 

[Micklebot]

Basically Paul lost the room. Something DJ clearly hasn't done.

What to you are the signs of losing the room?

 

[swiftwin]

What to you are the signs of losing the room?

Lack of effort

 

[bert]

Not to mention most of these guys have played for high level coaches at some point in their careers. They can see what's working and what's not. They also know that "working hard" is not a game plan. They probably have ideas about adjustments that need to be made and aren't getting any support from the staff on that front.

I mean I think thats alot of assumptions in regards to players wanting to influence the coachs decisions. There is definitely a full game plan with NHL level systems they just arent soaking it in because deep down all the losing has made them not buy in anymore.

Lack of effort

Ok so Stutzle giving up on multiple pucks. Motte icing it by not getting the redline. Turnovers at blue lines. Players allowing guys to get to the net with ease. Not first on pucks, losing 50/50 battles. That stuff wasnt happening at the start of the season.....It sure is now.

 

[HF Reader]

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

Perhaps not "immediately" fire everyone on your list but I'd be shocked if the new ownership hasn't done some research into organization structure, candidates for positions and associated costs. The new owners may not have conducted a thorough review of scouting, trade history, Belleville and prospects and may not have conducted interviews for key positions but at a minimum I'd expect they'd have a list of candidates to act very quickly.

Would you not do these things if buying an NHL team? Would you not try to have as much mapped out in advance of taking control as you possibly could?

If the sale is near the time of the amateur draft they might have little choice but to go with Dorion and the scouts for the draft.

 

[Alf Silfversson]

I mean I think thats alot of assumptions in regards to players wanting to influence the coachs decisions. There is definitely a full game plan with NHL level systems they just arent soaking it in because deep down all the losing has made them not buy in anymore.


Ok so Stutzle giving up on multiple pucks. Motte icing it by not getting the redline. Turnovers at blue lines. Players allowing guys to get to the net with ease. Not first on pucks, losing 50/50 battles. That stuff wasnt happening at the start of the season.....It sure is now.

I used ambiguous language there so I wasn't totally clear.

I wasn't inferring that the players want the coaches to have them implement their own system(s). Rather that the players (at least some) know that for them to have success as a team that some adjustments need to be made. When the coaches fail to do that, in the face of mounting losses, the players lose faith in the coaching staff.

 

[Micklebot]

Lack of effort

We're losing a lot of 50/50 battles, aren't first on pucks, are taking lazy stick infraction, there's a lot of fly bys,

More concerning to me than effort is the lack of working as a cohesive unit, the last few games they don't support each other the way they did earlier in the season.

Players don't dislike DJ, he's never going to lose the room the way a hard ass does, but idk if they all are buying in the way they have in the past.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

We're losing a lot of 50/50 battles, aren't first on pucks, are taking lazy stick infraction, there's a lot of fly bys,

More concerning to me than effort is the lack of working as a cohesive unit, the last few games they don't support each other the way they did earlier in the season.

Players don't dislike DJ, he's never going to lose the room the way a hard ass does, but idk if they all are buying in the way they have in the past.

if they do it's a long way from consistent... you might get a few shifts a game but seldom all together.
Their fundamentals just are not there shift by shift .. the attention to detail and the effort to play "the right way".
When things don't go your way those things tend to gradually float away.. and they need to be reigned in and not just on the callups or the rookies. Set an example... use Tkachuk next time he flies the zone cheating for offense , is out of position, or mismanages the puck,, if you want to send a message. He won't mind. It will reinforce his post game comments.

 

[Flamingo]

Has DJ benched anyone for boneheaded plays? Stützle’s a run of game-blowing giveaways and coverage gaffes. It’s hard to bench your #1 centre, but DJ has to crack some skulls.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

You can hold your players accountable without a full-blown benching. I don't think DJ will ever find that medium though.

 

[Flamingo]

You can hold your players accountable without a full-blown benching. I don't think DJ will ever find that medium though.

He seems satisfied with his players demonstrating their contrition with slammed sticks and pouty faces. Time for him and his captain to stop being such chums.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

You can hold your players accountable without a full-blown benching. I don't think DJ will ever find that medium though.

True but it that is your method of choice for some players and not for others that is not a good signal.
During a game if you want to send a message it can be effective. Teaching and/or reinforcing you can do in team meetings or practice or outside game time. If players lack discipline which is what it is if they are taking short cuts or unnecessary gambles without regard for the game time etc... you have few tools available during a game.

 

[Loach]

True but it that is your method of choice for some players and not for others that is not a good signal.
During a game if you want to send a message it can be effective. Teaching and/or reinforcing you can do in team meetings or practice or outside game time. If players lack discipline which is what it is if they are taking short cuts or unnecessary gambles without regard for the game time etc... you have few tools available during a game.

Do coaches ever use "maintenance day, he has a few bumps and needs to rest up, etc." to quietly sit a player to get thier attention? Instead of calling them out in the media? "He can't throw pizzas up the middle like that anymore, so he's going to sit today, watch and see how much time he has.. etc.".

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Do coaches ever use "maintenance day, he has a few bumps and needs to rest up, etc." to quietly sit a player to get thier attention? Instead of calling them out in the media? "He can't throw pizzas up the middle like that anymore, so he's going to sit today, watch and see how much time he has.. etc.".

Sure they use any opportunity they can. They meet with players review things, watch video.. they get their message across. The next game after they have had that little talk... the player does the same thing.. you could be looking at a different response. Now I have zero insight into how much of the teaching, correction stuff is going on... it should be but I do see the same issues with the same players frequently so I think they need some tougher love.

 

[Loach]

Sure they use any opportunity they can. They meet with players review things, watch video.. they get their message across. The next game after they have had that little talk... the player does the same thing.. you could be looking at a different response. Now I have zero insight into how much of the teaching, correction stuff is going on... it should be but I do see the same issues with the same players frequently so I think they need some tougher love.

Biron said today, talking about when he played for Ruff, that Ruff would change the system multiple times a game, 1 2 2, then 2 1 2 and then something else and have different set plays for all of them! Did you see that kind of stuff when we played them? I had a fever of over 102⁰ that day and thought it was all a bad dream. Lol

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Biron said today, talking about when he played for Ruff, that Ruff would change the system multiple times a game, 1 2 2, then 2 1 2 and then something else and have different set plays for all of them! Did you see that kind of stuff when we played them? I had a fever of over 102⁰ that day and thought it was all a bad dream. Lol

I never remarked it specifically from watching that game. 122 212 can be used according to the situation though so I think that should be pretty common to be able to switch between those. . I am watching them play the Oilers now. Up 4-2 with 7 minutes left playing a 122...5-2 now

 

[Gil Gunderson]

The post-game is gonna be an all-timer.

Dorion letting this go on for this long is inexcusable.

 

[slamigo]

DJ is someone who is accustomed to losing.

That isn’t someone you want coaching your team.

 

[JimmySpaetzle]

The post-game is gonna be an all-timer

He’ll somehow talk about how we’re working hard even though we put up a stinker

 

[HSF]

he is done

 

[Sens Vader]

why are we purposefully wasting our season by not firing him, it was the obvious thing to do 5+ games ago.