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

[Xspyrit]

The team is soft as Charmin. We have D that have to front players because they can’t win physical battles or control sticks. No team gives up more goals from tipped point shots than this group from what I watch.

We can't even know what we need or what we don't because the team is too dysfunctional

Gotta wait for new GM and new coaching staff and go from there. We'll have to re-evaluate everyone. I don't put much stock into how players currently look, particularly defensively.

IMO, Tarasenko and Kubalik should be traded, not the type of forwards we need. Keep Batherson as he's younger and has term at a good price. We need more Joseph types.

Tkachuk - Stutzle - Giroux
Greig - Norris - Batherson
Joseph - Pinto - ???????
???????? - Kastelic - ???????

Sanderson - Chychrun
Chabot - Zub
Brannstrom - JBD

 

[GCK]

We can't even know what we need or what we don't because the team is too dysfunctional

Gotta wait for new GM and new coaching staff and go from there. We'll have to re-evaluate everyone. I don't put much stock into how players currently look, particularly defensively.

IMO, Tarasenko and Kubalik should be traded, not the type of forwards we need. Keep Batherson as he's younger and has term at a good price. We need more Joseph types.

Tkachuk - Stutzle - Giroux
Greig - Norris - Batherson
Joseph - Pinto - ???????
???????? - Kastelic - ???????

Sanderson - Chychrun
Chabot - Zub
Brannstrom - JBD

Soft is soft, small is small and weak is weak no matter who the coach is.

Our D needs size and strength

 

[SweSensFan]

We can't even know what we need or what we don't because the team is too dysfunctional

Gotta wait for new GM and new coaching staff and go from there. We'll have to re-evaluate everyone. I don't put much stock into how players currently look, particularly defensively.

IMO, Tarasenko and Kubalik should be traded, not the type of forwards we need. Keep Batherson as he's younger and has term at a good price. We need more Joseph types.

Tkachuk - Stutzle - Giroux
Greig - Norris - Batherson
Joseph - Pinto - ???????
???????? - Kastelic - ???????

Sanderson - Chychrun
Chabot - Zub
Brannstrom - JBD

Greig was awesome as a c this year though so not sure if putting him on the wing is the best but sure, could be worth a try when Pinto comes back.

 

[2CHAINZ]

Greig was awesome as a c this year though so not sure if putting him on the wing is the best but sure, could be worth a try when Pinto comes back.

I'd be more inclined to put Norris on the wing till he figures out his problems, because he has been dog shit all season. Roll with Greig and Pinto at C.

 

[Loach]

I wish Dorion hadn’t been fired over the Dadonov trade so he could be properly held responsible and fired for this disastrous team and coach.

This.

 

[Alex1234]

I'd be more inclined to put Norris on the wing till he figures out his problems, because he has been dog shit all season. Roll with Greig and Pinto at C.

This
Norris isn't fast enough reaction wise to be a C atm

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

We can't even know what we need or what we don't because the team is too dysfunctional

Gotta wait for new GM and new coaching staff and go from there. We'll have to re-evaluate everyone. I don't put much stock into how players currently look, particularly defensively.

IMO, Tarasenko and Kubalik should be traded, not the type of forwards we need. Keep Batherson as he's younger and has term at a good price. We need more Joseph types.

Tkachuk - Stutzle - Giroux
Greig - Norris - Batherson
Joseph - Pinto - ???????
???????? - Kastelic - ???????

Sanderson - Chychrun
Chabot - Zub
Brannstrom - JBD

Think we need more size and physicality on D. 3rd pairing isn't a long term solution to me.
I could see Chychrun being moved with acquiring a 2 way RD.
We also need to get harder to play against up front ... Greig and Pinto will help ( We think) I'd like to add some toughness/grit to the top 6 as well as the 3rd and 4th lines

 

[2CHAINZ]

This
Norris isn't fast enough reaction wise to be a C atm

He looks bad everywhere (d zone, o zone); he looks brutal on the PP; he can't find himself any space. He won't retrieve the puck; he just looks like a mess right now.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Because you never have to worry about money again if you get 60 million.

Heck your grandkids kids might not have to worry about anything with that kind of money.

Might? That's generational wealth way beyond grandkids if managed properly. Grandkids of grandkids of grandkids.

 

[Mingus Dew]

He looks bad everywhere (d zone, o zone); he looks brutal on the PP; he can't find himself any space. He won't retrieve the puck; he just looks like a mess right now.

Rightly or wrongly he's gonna get a pass this season cause of the shoulder surgery.

If he ever scores 35 again in his career I'll be shocked. Dude cashed in after a perfect season.

 

[2CHAINZ]

Rightly or wrongly he's gonna get a pass this season cause of the shoulder surgery.

If he ever scores 35 again in his career I'll be shocked. Dude cashed in after a perfect season.

You know I agree. I hated it, and it's looking worse and worse. Obviously, as a fan of this team, I want him to succeed, so hopefully he finds some success. It's also really hard for me to judge any player right now with this tire fire of a season going on.

 

[Ice-Tray]

Interim coach stat please.

 

[GCK]

Rightly or wrongly he's gonna get a pass this season cause of the shoulder surgery.

If he ever scores 35 again in his career I'll be shocked. Dude cashed in after a perfect season.

I’ll take the over on 35 goals next year.

 

[SweSensFan]

I'd be more inclined to put Norris on the wing till he figures out his problems, because he has been dog shit all season. Roll with Greig and Pinto at C.

That could work.

 

[Sens Vader]

Tkachuk Stützle Giroux
Norris Pinto Batherson
Joseph Greig Tarasenko

When everyone’s back and the new coach is here

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Greig was awesome as a c this year though so not sure if putting him on the wing is the best but sure, could be worth a try when Pinto comes back.

Heard Jason York and Bobby Ryan talking about how long it can take to return to form after a high ankle sprain. Didn't realize that was what Greig is out with.

Given how long it has taken players to get back into a grove after that injury, it might be a little optimistic to expect Greig to be the player he was before the injury right away. Playing him on the wing might help to mitigate that.

 

[DrEasy]

Team composition doesn't fit the kind of game DJ Smith wants. It's telling that the only player who seems to thrive right now is Joseph, i.e. a fast player with some jam. Greig was doing well until he got hurt. We lost Formenton and C. Brown. Now we have smaller or slower players who aren't adapted to DJ Smith hockey: Giroux, Tarasenko, Kubalik.

Other players who used to do well in his system are now broken post-injury, namely Batherson and Norris. They've lost all jam and are just relying on skill.

But it might be telling that the players who fit the system are the same who get injured. Either this is a system that is conducive to injury, or that we needed them to develop more physically before asking them to play this style at the NHL level against physically mature opposition.

We also don't have any depth to replace injured players. 3 or 4 of our current bottom 6 should be in the AHL. Sokolov, Jarventie etc are not NHL material (yet or ever). Crookshank may be closest at this point, Ostapchuk is at least a year away. Boucher is RIP.

I think a new coach might be able to adapt the style of play to the current personnel. For example, how can we leverage Tarasenko? Certainly not by pairing him with Chartier and Kubalik and asking him to dump and chase.

But ultimately team composition is/was Dorion's responsibility, and that's what we're paying for.

 

[HSF]

Soft is soft, small is small and weak is weak no matter who the coach is.

Our D needs size and strength

coaching can def change things. Nurse metrics have improved considerably under new coaching

pretty odd how people don't understand that structure and systems can make players look different. Caufield hit a new level under st louis

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

Soft is soft, small is small and weak is weak no matter who the coach is.

Our D needs size and strength

 

[Sens Vader]

They are gonna have to hire a full staff, on top of a new GM. should take some time but the quicker the better

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

The owner has yet to feel real pressure but eventually the fans will decide. Not because of the howling, chanting and complaining but by the attendance at non MTL and TO games. When those numbers drop significantly they'll act but unfortunately too late to save the season.

Not this again…

DJ is all but gone.

Smart owner is not letting anyone pull the trigger until they have a suitable replacement.

No one is coming in temporarily, they all want minimum 2-3 years.

Just relax and wait. That is what the owner is doing. So should the angry fan base.

 

[Ice-Tray]

They are gonna have to hire a full staff, on top of a new GM. should take some time but the quicker the better

It will be interesting to see if the GM picks an associate as well, or if he lets the head coach hire the whole staff. I kind of like when the GM hires an associate, adds a level of accountability to the staff, and creates a ready bake interim guy if there needs to be a sudden change.

Obviously it could backfire as well I suppose… Still, I’m excited for the changes coming regardless of how I feel about this season. I do think we have the core players we need, and an injection of a solid draft, along with a few key peripheral guys could really jump start this squad.

I miss The Connor Brown motor of a few years ago. We need a guy with that talent level and motor (Hyman?). Grieg looks to be that kind of guy potentially. We need guys that contribute on the physical and pettiness side so we can irritate the opposition. We also need these guys to help activate Brady who is such a beast when his blood is up.

Maybe it didn’t mean much score wise, but watching him punching 4 different panthers players in the face as they tried to jump him made me laugh. We have THAT guy on our team, we can’t waste him any more than we can Stu.

 

[Ice-Tray]

Not this again…

DJ is all but gone.

Smart owner is not letting anyone pull the trigger until they have a suitable replacement.

No one is coming in temporarily, they all want minimum 2-3 years.

Just relax and wait. That is what the owner is doing. So should the angry fan base.

At least this time we can try and be patient knowing that we are FOR SURE going to see some positive changes to the team.

A new GM and coaching staff will be massive for this team, as will the new scouting hires that the GM will make. Its not talked about as much, but the new GM will also likely hire and head amateur scout.

The entire direction of the team is going to change shortly from scouting to on ice play. Its been a long ride but we have some of the most important moves coming up shortly, and a draft that will see us have two firsts so far.

The boys just need to make a season of it.

 

[TheNewEra]

Not this again…

DJ is all but gone.

Smart owner is not letting anyone pull the trigger until they have a suitable replacement.

No one is coming in temporarily, they all want minimum 2-3 years.

Just relax and wait. That is what the owner is doing. So should the angry fan base.

Can't say no one is coming in temporarily when 2 teams have done just that in the past month

 

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Can't say no one is coming in temporarily when 2 teams have done just that in the past month

Nope. Interim coaches have never existed and will never exist. No self-respecting coach will ever take a temporary position.

I mean, what, do they think it'll springboard them into a permanent positon? That's never happened ever.