Proposal: Fire DJ Smith

[Butchy Dakkar]

This is the worst season to suck in. We need to turn it around to re-engage the fanbase and have the team (and outsiders) believe, or we become the new Buffalo.

Is a new coach the answer? One thing is for sure, it can't hurt. Only upside at this point, unless the tank is indeed on.

 

[PatrickEaves]

Stick with DJ, season is a wash at this point, let him continue to drive this team to the bottom. Don't need a new coach coming in and elevating the team to finish in 10th place.

Isn't that sort of DJ's thing? Have a terrible start and then win meaningless games at the end of the season to take us out of a lottery pick.

 

[Sens Vader]

when he's gone we will be thinking how crazy it was he lasted 4 seasons

 

[NyQuil]

when he's gone we will be thinking how crazy it was he lasted 4 seasons

He has coached 227 games.

In all likelihood, he will soon pass Rick Bowness (235) and Paul MacLean (238) to end up as the 2nd most prolific coach in franchise history.

Jacques Martin is 1st with 528 games.

Mrs_NyQuil was telling me she heard he is the active coach with the 7th most games coached with his current team in the NHL.

 

[dmarc]

Not sure why you'd put Cap in charge when he's been around this tire fire the whole time.

To me you promote Mann, he's been super loyal to the org and the AHL he defo deserves a shot in the NHL and if we continue to suck I am fine with that.

Cap aint changing anything

 

[Big Muddy]

He’s here till he’s not.

We won’t be adding a new Coach, Cap will just take over the reins.

New owners can’t come quick enough, franchise needs a reset button so incredibly bad.

Ya, I think more than a new coach will be needed. There needs to be a strong management group with vision and strategy. And to be successful, that strategy has be much more than "quick fix" type thinking.

Even if they were to add a player like Karlsson, they'd still need to bolster the blueline with defenders that could help keep the puck out of our net so that we can, you know, win games. Thinking you are going to win consistently when the final score of games is 7 - 6 or 6 - 5 doesn't work.

And they need better goaltending.

When you start to add expensive players with multiple years on their contracts to the dollars you've already committed to a young core, we will quickly run into cap problems without the team every really reaching the contender stage (over a period of years).

The rebuild was never really completed. Our deficiency on the blueline was apparent and significant. We bailed out prematurely to try to boost attendance so the team could get sold.

There needs to be a deep, cogent analysis of the current situation to identify what is needed. We are not one "quick fix" away. Making quick fix moves can easily result in cap issues and many teams have found that out the hard way. Some patience is going to be required, and that's something that is in short supply for many fans.

And they need a GM, management team and coach that can reset the team so that it has the systems and discipline required to be a winner.

 

[NyQuil]

We can point fingers all over the place, but the consensus at the beginning of the season was, DJ Smith cannot survive another slow start, and here we are.

 

[Big Muddy]

This is the worst season to suck in. We need to turn it around to re-engage the fanbase and have the team (and outsiders) believe, or we become the new Buffalo.

Is a new coach the answer? One thing is for sure, it can't hurt. Only upside at this point, unless the tank is indeed on.

Well from this season's perspective, the tank is on. It's a fait accompli.

A new management will need a vision and strategy that goes well beyond hoping that a "quick fix" solution will produce enduring results. We are not just "one trade" away. And, there's a salary cap, so they need to careful not put themselves into a corner with a quick fix solution.

 

[BondraTime]

Not sure why you'd put Cap in charge when he's been around this tire fire the whole time.

To me you promote Mann, he's been super loyal to the org and the AHL he defo deserves a shot in the NHL and if we continue to suck I am fine with that.

Cap aint changing anything

Presumably, the Sens withheld Capuano from interviewing for the Sabres head coaching gig last year because he would be plan B should DJ get sent packing.

Would be pretty poor taste to not allow him to interview for a promotion and then not give him the role.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

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.

That has been my argument all along. I was responding to people who were suggesting the exact second new ownership moves in the coach and or GM would be fired. In the meantime the GM may have to fire the coach in order to see his new job before the ownership moves in. Any house cleaning is going to be done in the off-season, on that we can agree

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

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.

I have my doubts, as to how much interest prospective new owners would have in the current inner workings of the franchise. I think their due diligence is going to be on the marketplace, the financial structure of new ownership, and the NCC deal.

I doubt very much that prospective owners can do a proper review of the coaching staff discounting staff and other internal workings. That will be done after the new owner takes over, and most likely house cleaning will happen in the off-season not immediately as people seem to think.

 

[Bileur]

Not sure how well regarded these are but I consistently see Branny near the top whenever someone posts them.

Brannstrom tends to play really well with Zub. That pairing should be a lock when Chabot is out.

 

[Big Muddy]

That has been my argument all along. I was responding to people who were suggesting the exact second new ownership moves in the coach and or GM would be fired.

You don't give people much credit. I think you can always find a few people that thought that, but not the majority. Nice try though.

 

[SENATOR]

Hiring a coach with no proven NHL record at this stage of the franchise hisotry is absolutely irresponsible. If you hire someone from juniors leagues or from an assistant position. You have to do your homework. Is this person willing to learn and adapt? Can this person develop himself to be a better coach in NHL? What are his skills as a developer of the talent? Has he an academic approach to the game. Can he utilize all the resources available to him? Can he evaluate his roster and play them properly? Any good coach would bench Shtutzle after a midget hockey moment he had on a PP. DJ Smith does nothing on all question marks in this post. Just horrible, horrible coach, could be only compared to Sparky Allison. DJ Smith was absolutely terrible in charge of the Leafs defence. Why would you hire an individual like this with no resume?

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

You don't give people much credit. I think you can always find a few people that thought that, but not the majority. Nice try though.

Yeah, while that was the poster I originally quoted, and replied to, who suggested Dorion would not survive an ownership change.

Whomever the owner is, they’ll take the required time to settle in, review the internal workings of the franchise management, and then decide what to do, month after taking over.


Can’t stop others from adding their two cents worth.

 

[Flamingo]

Hiring a coach with no proven NHL record at this stage of the franchise hisotry is absolutely irresponsible. If you hire someone from juniors leagues or from an assistant position. You have to do your homework. Is this person willing to learn and adapt? Can this person develop himself to be a better coach in NHL? What are his skills as a developer of the talent? Has he an academic approach to the game. Can he utilize all the resources available to him? Can he evaluate his roster and play them properly? Any good coach would bench Shtutzle after a midget hockey moment he had on a PP. DJ Smith does nothing on all question marks in this post. Just horrible, horrible coach, could be only compared to Sparky Allison. DJ Smith was absolutely terrible in charge of the Leafs defence. Why would you hire an individual like this with no resume?

He's a player's coach. The players buy into his message, but there's no accountability when they deviate. Or maybe DJ's message is missing key points about puck management and risk containment. The players aren't playing for their jobs. Tchucky, Giroux, and Chabot have to instill that winning mentality if DJ's not willing to use the stick and not just the carrot.

 

[SENATOR]

He's a player's coach. The players buy into his message, but there's no accountability when they deviate. Or maybe DJ's message is missing key points about puck management and risk containment. The players aren't playing for their jobs. Tchucky, Giroux, and Chabot have to instill that winning mentality if DJ's not willing to use the stick and not just the carrot.

There is no such a thing as a player's coach. If a manager is soft to get his message across. He is in a wrong position.
It is like a mantra for Sens fans. To make them feel better. The real world does not work like this. You get what you got and you run them like dogs, for all the money they make. To build your winning resume with numbers, to be hired again in this business.
It is a livelihood of any coach, we are talking about. No wonder, after a Sen's HC job, those individuals never see NHL again. They are just not motivated, soft and weak. Why to hire them in the first place?

 

[SENATOR]

And besides. You can not task anymore your captain to engage a slaking player. It will be classified as a harassment, public humiliation and an abuse. NHL is not far away from judicial challenges, if it is still present You can not even raise a voice anymore directly to a player. Benching, trading, scratching, office/ice conversations - that's coaches job now. That's it. Also the captaincy in NHL is irrelevant right not. It is ridiculous even to think that Tkachuk will police the Sens dressing room for the coach. And do coach's job to shake players to accountability. Those times are gone.

 

[senswon]

If/DJ and staff get fired, and Mann was promoted, who would replace him for belleville ?
Jesse Winchester? Donovan?

I admittedly don't know much about Capuanos time as a HD--- like what, style// system he used-- anyone have any scouting report for him?

 

[Puikiou]

Two issues with a system that revolves around every player on the roster outworking the opposition (regardless of their individuals strengths or skills):

1. It's the NHL. EVERY teams works hard. You're not going to outwork, outcheck, out dump and chase, etc. your opponent every night.

2. On nights when the team or certain individuals on the team don't have "it", there is no actual system to fall back on. It leads to panic, breakdowns and everyone running around like chickens with their heads cutoff.

It's been almost 5 years of the same scheisse. This team needs a real coach. Someone established that will implement a strong two-way system. The best teams in the league work smarter, not harder. Maclean and Boucher got fired for much less, despite leading the organization to much more success.

Oh and the guy from Orleans who thought it'd be a good idea to give the head coaching job to the Leafs' defensive coach that manned some of the most epic collapses of the past decade should walk too.

 

[Alf Silfversson]

Just no mental toughness with this group. They played a very good 1st period but weren't leading. As soon as the Sharks got that second goal the Sens just folded like a cheap suit.

Can you imagine this group in a playoff atmosphere? They'd get run out of the rink. Get a new coach in here who can teach this group how to compete.

 

[robsenz]

I've seen enough,I'm on board, still not fully convinced it just falls on the coaching, the team is loaded with a bunch of entitled overpaid perimeter losers. Too many players are just happy to be in the league.

 

[Oscar The Grouch]

I've seen enough,I'm on board, still not fully convinced it just falls on the coaching, the team is loaded with a bunch of entitled overpaid perimeter losers. Too many players are just happy to be in the league.

No, those were the guys we all traded. These are the hungry new young guys that are supposed to be different.

 

[dmarc]

Presumably, the Sens withheld Capuano from interviewing for the Sabres head coaching gig last year because he would be plan B should DJ get sent packing.

Would be pretty poor taste to not allow him to interview for a promotion and then not give him the role.

Meh Melnyk was running the ship at the time, most of what he did was in poor taste.
I don't see how Cap is part of the solution here, we need to breathe new life in the team not have a guy who's been here for the whole stink

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDoo]

Crazy thing is I'm kind of looking back fondly on the Craig Hartsburg team.