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

[Mark Stones Spleen]

Batherson’s interview on 1200 today, he talks about they worked on new systems most of practice.

I was told we had perfect systems.

 

[LiseL]

People need to get it though their heads that Staios, and Andlauer did/do not expect anything from the Sens this season. This team is Dorion's. I highly, highly doubt that their position in the league is surprising to them. It's not that surprising to me.

They were pumping the breaks as soon as they got here. All we heard is that we have lots of work to do, there were still lots of moves and additions that need to be made.

It sucks, because the prior management team and ownership proclaimed this was a team that was destined for greatness, and playoff bound "this year" (or next, or the year after....) for the better part of 4 years.

This is not a very good team. It needs a serious revamp, and will likely get that this summer when a new GM comes into town.

We lost a year essentially by the sale being pushed until September. We couldn't get new managemtn in, and we had Dorion running things. Does our new GM see things the same way Dorion did? Very, very doubtful.

I'd look at this years draft as a very large turning point. I think we see some movement of guys we are surprised and upset to see moved, and see us poach 3/4 members of management, coaching and scouting teams around the league.

Great post, and I couldn't agree more. As you said, they already told us at that first press conference that this was not a playoff team yet. The games this season are painful to watch, but I am looking forward to this summer to see who they draft, who they hire, if they make trades, etc. Then we'll have a clearer picture for the future under new management.

 

[Adele Dazeem]

Well I guess I won’t be watching more games anytime soon. Good luck to Andlauer with ticket sales, I’m sure the lower revenue will help with stabilizing things

Yeah I'm done watching games this season. I'll just follow from afar.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

I agree completely with what you wrote and support what they are trying to accomplish with staffing positions. That reason, however, is not justified by "stability". That reason they have not moved is that they are waiting to acquire the person they want. If they had a GM today my guess is they would replace DJ this week (if they had vetted coaches, etc.). I get that they might want to make the change once only and that could be interpreted as minimizing turnover, which they call "stability".

Clearly they aren't going to come out and say "We intend to release the entire coaching staff but we aren't sure who we want and we think it best to let the new GM make the decision".

By the way, has SS or MA actually said they want stability? I've heard "top of class" or something along those lines.

Stability is just something we lacked during the Conman years, they are basically using it as a buzzword because it is what most of us want from new ownership: an end to the gongshow.

I think people are putting too much stock in these interviews/media releases. They are designed to placate, not provide detailed analysis or solutions.

 

[HF Reader]

Stability is just something we lacked during the Conman years, they are basically using it as a buzzword because it is what most of us want from new ownership: an end to the gongshow.

I think people are putting too much stock in these interviews/media releases. They are designed to placate, not provide detailed analysis or solutions.

I think you are exactly right (placate ,etc.). I trust they know what they are doing but am a bit skeptical of keeping DJ if an interim option is available (it might not be). At this point, and for some time, I think DJ is doing more harm than good. Both for player development (even though people say the NHL is not a developmental league) and possibly for fan support.

I never saw the Melnyk years as unstable. Rather, I see those years as making decisions motivated by goals other than on-ice winning. And I have never seen Dorion as a man who knows how to build a team. Admittedly the team has seen a lot of instability at the coaching position.

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

i don't think DJ is as much the problem as some of these kids being uncoachable in their current iteration.

how many coaches did we go through before DJ? yet still the players at least gave honest effort.

too much easy money too fast.

 

[HF Reader]

i don't think DJ is as much the problem as some of these kids being uncoachable in their current iteration.

how many coaches did we go through before DJ? yet still the players at least gave honest effort.

too much easy money too fast.

You might be right. So get a new coach and let's find out.

 

[LiseL]

I am confused by a few things with the organization.

What decisions are on hold pending the new GM hiring?

It appears they want the new GM to pick a coach. Are they going to wait for the new GM to make player decisions also, such as trades?

The justification for delaying a coaching change seems to be "why hire a coach now only to replace the coach when the new GM is hired?".

Player decisions might be more burdensome on a new GM (harder to undo) than would be hiring a new coach today, especially if the new coach agrees to be is interim.


Off topic but another confusion organizationally is Alf'son's role. Who does he report to? What are his responsibilities?

Sigh!!

Going on memory here but when Alfie was hired, it was announced that he would report directly to POHO, not the GM. PD was still the GM at the time. It was also reported that SS asked Alfie what role he wanted to play. He doesn't have an official title (yet) but his role is part of player development/coaching.

 

[HF Reader]

Going on memory here but when Alfie was hired, it was announced that he would report directly to POHO, not the GM. PD was still the GM at the time. It was also reported that SS asked Alfie what role he wanted to play. He doesn't have an official title (yet) but his role is part of player development/coaching.

That is my recollection also. I have trouble reconciling Alf'son having a coaching role and reporting to Staios or anyone other than DJ. If DJ and Alf'son disagree what happens?

We can drop this, I'm simply curious.

 

[Ice-Tray]

If a component of stability in Andlauer's mind is personnel continuity, then the team has been stable for 5 years.

Stability itself should not be a goal. Winning should be the on-ice goal. How does keeping DJ (coaching staff stability) contribute to winning now or in the medium to long run?

Why does he want stability?

Perhaps by stability he is referring to some continuity during this transition. Perhaps he is trying more to avoid the instability of trying to hire a coach mid season without a GM in place.

I mean sure, we as fans have been watching this rebuild and some folks are bitter and angry about it, fair enough.

But dude just paid close to a billion dollars for the team, he’s not sweating the first 82 games, he’s focused a least a few years out and how to stabilize the organization with excellent people on the way. He’s taken his time and added some quality people into important jobs, but they aren’t going to rush their plan because Dorion screwed up big time, needed to be fired early, and now the team is reeling under DJ.

They probably look at a very green POHO having to hire an NHL coach while playing GM (which he has no experience at either) as an unstable move, especially when the GM they choose will very likely want to bring in his own guys anyways a few months later.

That sounds like instability for the players, and looks a lot more Mickey Mouse like. No, they have a plan, they started late so things got bumped, they had to fire a guy which threw another wrench in the plan, but it’s a bit much to expect them to create more issues by firing another key component.

If the team keeps sliding I suspect they DJ will go and someone from in the org will take over in the interim until the seasons end. Fans will complain all season but in the end we’ll all be better for the calculated and patient approach to hiring key positions on the team.

They have to get the GM and coach right because that will be the start of the identity that the team will start to embody through trades and coaches. We really should in our heart of hearts want Andlauer and Staios to take their time. The next guys are going to have the core moving into their primes.

Alright then have fun losing and shitty attendance.

Eh, fans will be back in droves next year after a new coaching staff and GM have arrived and started making moves. Two first round picks by a competent staff, new playing style and all the hype that comes along with that, some off season moves… Yeah, you can feel the hype from here.

Say what you want but it’s true. Sucks for this season, but we’ll have to deal with what we have for now I’d wager.

 

[HF Reader]

Perhaps by stability he is referring to some continuity during this transition. Perhaps he is trying more to avoid the instability of trying to hire a coach mid season without a GM in place.

I mean sure, we as fans have been watching this rebuild and some folks are bitter and angry about it, fair enough.

But dude just paid close to a billion dollars for the team, he’s not sweating the first 82 games, he’s focused a least a few years out and how to stabilize the organization with excellent people on the way. He’s taken his time and added some quality people into important jobs, but they aren’t going to rush their plan because Dorion screwed up big time, needed to be fired early, and now the team is reeling under DJ.

They probably look at a very green POHO having to hire an NHL coach while playing GM (which he has no experience at either) as an unstable move, especially when the GM they choose will very likely want to bring in his own guys anyways a few months later.

That sounds like instability for the players, and looks a lot more Mickey Mouse like. No, they have a plan, they started late so things got bumped, they had to fire a guy which threw another wrench in the plan, but it’s a bit much to expect them to create more issues by firing another key component.

If the team keeps sliding I suspect they DJ will go and someone from in the org will take over in the interim until the seasons end. Fans will complain all season but in the end we’ll all be better for the calculated and patient approach to hiring key positions on the team.

They have to get the GM and coach right because that will be the start of the identity that the team will start to embody through trades and coaches. We really should in our heart of hearts want Andlauer and Staios to take their time. The next guys are going to have the core moving into their primes.


Eh, fans will be back in droves next year after a new coaching staff and GM have arrived and started making moves. Two first round picks by a competent staff, new playing style and all the hype that comes along with that, some off season moves… Yeah, you can feel the hype from here.

Say what you want but it’s true. Sucks for this season, but we’ll have to deal with what we have for now I’d wager.

You make a lot of good points. In general I agree. Getting the coach and GM right is vital (as is the scouting component).

I'm not impatient, although I can see how I sound that way. Rather, I fear DJ is doing more harm than good.

The question (I can't answer) is, "Do you do more harm to the team long term by keeping DJ or by replacing him now?".


Two small comments on your position.
1. I wouldn't call DJ a key component (although the position of coach with staff is).
2. If Staios is too green to hire a coach let's hope he is not too green to evaluate and hire the GM.

 

[DrEasy]

Great post, and I couldn't agree more. As you said, they already told us at that first press conference that this was not a playoff team yet. The games this season are painful to watch, but I am looking forward to this summer to see who they draft, who they hire, if they make trades, etc. Then we'll have a clearer picture for the future under new management.

Well then at least we can say they were more correct in their assessment of the team than most of us were (me included), so at least they have that going for them.

 

[bert]

There should a chant...fire Andlauer!

Your consistency is impressive. Always exactly the opposite of what should be done.

 

[bert]

How soon people forget…. It was around this time last year, that I started posting that not only was Ottawa out of a playoff spot ( at this time last year) but also posted that it was highly unlikely they would be able to up their game, for the remainder of the season, and claw their way back into a playoff spot, and hold on to it, and make the playoffs.

A lot of people said I didn’t know what I was talking about, and were saying there is a lot of runway left in the season…. They just could not understand P% and we’re focusing on how many points the Sens were behind the last wild card spot…. without taking into account the teams between the Sens and the last wild card spot.

I would post links and pictures to support my opinion, but of course they were dismissed as wacko websites or whatever…. Math is not my forte, but it not a lot of others either.

today, after only 17 games played, Ottawa is sitting with about a 35% chance of making the playoffs….and even though I would wait until at least 20 to 25 games have been played, before being bullish on the playoff chances…. Looking at the schedule for the next two months…am not really feeling too good about their chance even now.
View attachment 774622

As it happens, last year around this time, Iwas correct, and the Sens fell just short of the playoffs.

of course those who debated that point, won’t admit to remembering the pages of debate….but we all know it though.

Oh yeah they're about to get a consistent taste of really good teams while they have no rest and tons of travel. The way this current group is playing they will be in the bottom 5 in the league by the new year. Wouldn't surprise me at all if they are dead last in the east in points percentage by 2024. I've actually never seen a schedule quite like the one they're about to play.

I honestly can't believe they aren't replacing the coaching staff right now. The team has quite clearly quit on them. It happened a couple weeks ago. Both players and coaching staff alike appear to be waiting for it to happen. I understand wanting to be patient but this team and its best players are regressing at an alarming rate.

 

[bert]

It's a test.

He and Staios are testing the players. See how they react and who rises to the occasion, and who is a passenger. Who tries to hide in the shadows and slip by.

I'll be willing to bet we see a significant trade long before we get a new coach.

At least, that's the only thing I can think of not to have an interim coach right now (that and no quality names are available or willing to be interim here).

Enough with the trades there's been hundreds. They keep devaluing the teams assets by trading them when they suck. This team has nothing in the pipeline to deal.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

OUCH!

 

[WORLDSTARHIPHOP]

You don't get to be in the position Andlauer is in by being reactive and short term. This year will pass either way. There is probably a minimal difference between an interim and riding DJ out for the rest of the year. I'm sure they prefer a much more thorough vetting and hiring process in the summer. After all, they don't even have a GM at the moment.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

You don't get to be in the position Andlauer is in by being reactive and short term. This year will pass either way. There is probably a minimal difference between an interim and riding DJ out for the rest of the year. I'm sure they prefer a much more thorough vetting and hiring process in the summer. After all, they don't even have a GM at the moment.

Agree 100%…. The only way the Senators management/POHO should deviate from a slow steady approach to improve the franchise, is if the team sinks further down the standing in the next two week, and the need for a change cannot be denied, and only an interim head coach appointed for the rest of the season.

doing things in the proper order is the preferred way, IMO. Hire a POHO….done, hire a GM and then a Head coach. The best way to do this is the off season, when the pool is deeper, and preferred candidates become available as their contracts expire.

Focusing on a single frame of a movie, instead of the entire movie, is what leads to unforced errors, and should not be the approach of the POHO.

 

[Oduyanow]

Just wondering, at what point does "stability" turn into dereliction of duty ?

 

[bert]

I don't think any organization that has a POHO fully allows the GM to make the final decision on a coach. It's very much a group call. This is a new position its essentially the GM with less day to day work and more guidance to all levels of the hockey ops. They do not need GM to hire a new coach. The GM should also be evaluating the team and its personnel for a while before making the decision. This teams current core are regressing at a rate that is shocking. Horrible habits and a loser mentality has completely kicked in. They need to make a change now before more players go the way of Chabot and Batherson.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

It's probably a reflection of how they view the roster. I'm thinking they honestly don't think this team is capable of being better in its current form. There were lots of signs before the season that they didnt think this team was ready to make noise.

I still think the right play is to move on from DJ.

No one is looking at this roster and saying “yeah no way this can make the playoffs” it absolutely can make the playoffs and should

It's probably a reflection of how they view the roster. I'm thinking they honestly don't think this team is capable of being better in its current form. There were lots of signs before the season that they didnt think this team was ready to make noise.

I still think the right play is to move on from DJ.

No one is looking at this roster and saying “yeah no way this can make the playoffs” it absolutely can make the playoffs and should

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

Just wondering, at what point does "stability" turn into dereliction of duty ?

I also don't get how this is 'stability' when you are constantly losing, getting embarrassed at home, bottom of the standings, fans are pissed at you and possibly losing ticket revenue. What part of that is stable? It makes no sense.

 

[Tuna99]

I also don't get how this is 'stability' when you are constantly losing, getting embarrassed at home, bottom of the standings, fans are pissed at you and possibly losing ticket revenue. What part of that is stable? It makes no sense.

Stability is just a word they are using because “Dorion created such a gong show It’ll take a full year to a fix” doesn’t roll off the tongue as well

 

[Masked]

Enough with the trades there's been hundreds. They keep devaluing the teams assets by trading them when they suck. This team has nothing in the pipeline to deal.

I'd wait until the players have an NHL coach before trading a core player. I could see moving on from Kubalik for the cap space but that's not going to tilt the ice much.

I also don't get how this is 'stability' when you are constantly losing, getting embarrassed at home, bottom of the standings, fans are pissed at you and possibly losing ticket revenue. What part of that is stable? It makes no sense.

I think what the brain trust is thinking is that the next coach needs to be the right guy, a really good NHL coach. They could bring in an average NHL coach who could turn this team around and then they're sort of stuck with an average coach instead of getting someone who is a good coach.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Just wondering, at what point does "stability" turn into dereliction of duty ?

It already has