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How much rope does DJ Smith have? [UPDATE: None]

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We cannot afford another terrible start
DJ HAS to find a way to drop the GA by a good margin
If Boucher made it to the ECF...
DJ has to make it to the 90 points season
 
StrakaCorvoHoffman said:
Different times without Melnyk around hopefully. With the group they've put together and the money they've put up to do so already, we're well in to uncharted territory as it is.
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I am hopeful as well, I remember when they almost had Boudreau but he couldn't "walk on water"

Fun time
 
StrakaCorvoHoffman said:
Different times without Melnyk around hopefully. With the group they've put together and the money they've put up to do so already, we're well in to uncharted territory as it is.
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I think Trotz last was contract was 5 million a season, so likely Capuano or Mann, if anything happens.
 
Golden_Jet said:
I think Trotz last was contract was 5 million a season, so likely Capuano or Mann, if anything happens.
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That's probably the safe bet, but I'm willing to be open to the possibility without Melnyk's line of thinking around. I'd say there's a slim chance unlike a guaranteed 0% previously.

It can be seen as an investment potentially. If DJ falters and Trotz brought them to the playoffs, you could argue he's earned his salary for the org.
 
While DJ plays the players he has, he is also handcuffed by having to play the players the GM brought in. It could take 10 games before they decide that a few guys they signed just aren't cutting it & changes need to be made. IMO Kastelic is a perfect example of a player who should start the season in Ottawa but because they have guys on one way contracts he might have to start the season in Belleville until an injury occurs or they move someone ahead of him out. IMO the 4th line C job is really the only forward spot potentially open & they signed Gambrell which means they will probably play him there.

On D the only spot open IMO is the 3rd pairing RD which Zaitsev will likely get given he is the more experienced vet & Brannstrom will likely be the 7th D. These two could battle it out all yr I doubt either one wins the job outright but more likely share the spot depending on who they play against.
 
DJ gets 55+ games for me. Davis Payne was highly regarded and Capuano is a proven commodity.

A lot depends on our goaltending to start the season. If Talbot and Forsberg can wether the storm for 12-16 games were in a very good position.

And Armstrong settling for Kleven and a 1st for Chychrun.
 
Que said:
DJ gets 55+ games for me. Davis Payne was highly regarded and Capuano is a proven commodity.

A lot depends on our goaltending to start the season. If Talbot and Forsberg can wether the storm for 12-16 games were in a very good position.

And Armstrong settling for Kleven and a 1st for Chychrun.
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55 games and the season is over. I think we have an easier start to the season, not sure though. For a guy that played Defense, DJ really doesn't have a clue. He sucked in TO and he sucks here. Get him an Assistant for that. Payne and Cap don't cut it.
 
What if we are top 10 after 25 games? I dont think i would be offering any extension to the GM or coach based on that. I'd probably figure that's a little unexpected. I'd expect a slower start with a young team thats added a bunch of new pieces and is trying to find itself. Then i'd remember oh yeah we got off to a slow start the last two years so we need a great start or the coach should be fired.
 
In this hypothetical situation, it also really depends on what's the cause of the poor results. If it's caused by the defense not being up to the mark or caused by bad goaltending, then I think blaming that on DJ is a suboptimal solution. The defense is below average as it is and the goaltending seems good but still has some question marks. If the team does poorly to start the year I think the first move should be to make a serious push for a defensemen. Yes, it will cost a lot, but the team is in a great position with wealth of prospects and picks. Dorion can be patient for a little bit here but if there's a poor start he will be forced to do something.

If the teams starts poorly and poor lineup decisions are made. For example forwards can't seem to get going and the chemistry is just not there then I would consider moving on from Smith a lot earlier. If Zaitsev is in the lineup and the young guys don't get opportunities or if the 4rth line is a non-factor and Kastelic/Crookshank/Sokolov don't get a shot. If the Stutzle line doesn't mesh and no adjustments are made. If the PP is not effective and no adjustments are made. I think these type of things should trigger action on the coaching side. Otherwise if it's on defense or goaltending ... As good as the offseason as been then it's a bit on Dorion (I get it's extremely tough to acquire D) for not addressing the teams biggest need.

I don't expect things to go this poorly though, let's see. I'm hoping this goalie tandem will hide some deficiencies on defense, like Forsberg did last season. I still see this team as a 50/50 playoff chance, maybe less than 50 even with this defense. The season should have highs and lows, I think we should be prepared for that.
 
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Look I think DJ is a good person and the players probably love him, but outside of always wanting the players battle hard, we don’t battle smartly.

That push on the players to play the body and play hard only lasts so long and it’s shorter when you are losing.

I’ve seen no progress whatsoever defensively. We are a complete mess. Prime Z and Redden wouldn’t change this so adding Chycrun will do nothing. D men are chasing, forwards always seem to deep and never have the points. No communication and no real system. We seem to try and chip it and hope it gets out.

Offensively it looks like we have the pieces, but again we lack a system of breaking it out and sustaining offensive pressure. We seem to only get chances off the rush. Not a recipe for success again.

I think DJ was good for the start of the rebuild supporting the young guys, but I’ll say it now for the first time…..

It’s time to fire DJ now before the season even starts and we lose games that we should be winning.
 
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Only 10 games.

Being outshot like that vs C team, no excuse. He has rest of pre-season and first 10 games to figure it out. That's about 15 games. More than enough with bringing in a capable above average starter, a top 4 D(Sanderson), a potential calder finalist(Pinto), and 2 top line players in the game.
 
ReginKarlssonLehner said:
Only 10 games.

Being outshot like that vs C team, no excuse. He has rest of pre-season and first 10 games to figure it out. That's about 15 games. More than enough with bringing in a capable above average starter, a top 4 D(Sanderson), a potential calder finalist(Pinto), and 2 top line players in the game.
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Never overreact to anything you see in preseason. Having said that, if the team is playing with sound structure and the record is bad I bet he’s canned in early November.
 
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Ice-Tray said:
Manage expectations people. Being .500 after 10 games would be a huge improvement.
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I think a reasonable expectation would be to improve on how we finished last year, we've added a lot of high impact pieces in Giroux, DeBrincat and Sanderson, I don't think it's too much to ask for the team to at least maintain how the finished.

We finished last year 7-3, might be too small of a sample to use, so last 20 was 11-7-2.

Being 500 after 10 would be a huge improvement on how we started last year or the year before, but it would represent a significant step back on how we finished particularly when accounting for the upgrades we made.

DJ should be on thin ice if we start the season 500 offer 10 games imo.
 
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Micklebot said:
I think a reasonable expectation would be to improve on how we finished last year, we've added a lot of high impact pieces in Giroux, DeBrincat and Sanderson, I don't think it's too much to ask for the team to at least maintain how the finished.

We finished last year 7-3, might be too small of a sample to use, so last 20 was 11-7-2.

Being 500 after 10 would be a huge improvement on how we started last year or the year before, but it would represent a significant step back on how we finished particularly when accounting for the upgrades we made.

DJ should be on thin ice if we start the season 500 offer 10 games imo.
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Sure, but we’ve also had a pretty big reset on the roster on every line but the top line.

Consider that at best we’ll have our top line, and potentially our 4th line that have played together.

I don’t think it’s too much to ask that the team is allowed to tread water for a bit while chemistry grows.

Going .500 to start after 10 is a big step from last season, but would also be reasonable to expect from what is basically a new team once again.

.500 would be an awesome place to build off of, that’s the record of bubble team, which is what we’re expected to be.

Gil Gunderson said:
If DJ can’t get a decent start out of this team that should be it. He’s entering his 4th year, which is a lot longer than the average coach gets these days.
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.500 after 10 would absolutely be a decent start for this team in my opinion.

I honestly think that people are setting themselves up for disappointment, and season long complaining.

We aren’t a playoff team yet, if we get in it will be a huge leap in development from the core of those team in one season. G and Cat aren’t going to make that happen on their own.
 
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Wallet Inspector said:
Call me crazy but I don't think Brady and Chabot will be happy to "improve" to 85 points but still miss the playoffs.
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Maybe not, but Brady has also tempered expectations in his latest interviews.

The guys all know that it’s unlikely that they take such a massive leap in one year, no matter how bad they want it.
 
Micklebot said:
I think a reasonable expectation would be to improve on how we finished last year, we've added a lot of high impact pieces in Giroux, DeBrincat and Sanderson, I don't think it's too much to ask for the team to at least maintain how the finished.

We finished last year 7-3, might be too small of a sample to use, so last 20 was 11-7-2.

Being 500 after 10 would be a huge improvement on how we started last year or the year before, but it would represent a significant step back on how we finished particularly when accounting for the upgrades we made.

DJ should be on thin ice if we start the season 500 offer 10 games imo.
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Good post. And it will also depend how we win/lose.

If we win by shootout and lose big, then I want him gone. If we winning comfortably and losing tight games/still in them, give him another 10.
 
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