News Article: Sens hire DJ Smith as head coach

[danielpalfredsson]

People still thinking that this was not a misquote... ? LOL. - fake news

We all know Dorion cannot speak publicly with bumbling. There is no way he meant we are going to be a playoff contending team this year.

Stage 1 - tear down
Stage 2 -draft/ rebuild. <— you are here
Stage 3 - contend

That is how I see it

How you see it doesn't invalidate what he said though.

Senators GM Pierre Dorion vows team will be Cup contender soon - Sportsnet.ca

OTTAWA — Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said recently that the hockey operations side needs to “get their act together” in the next six months.

In his post-season address to the media, general manager Pierre Dorion didn’t dispute what his boss was laying down.

“I totally agree with that,” Dorion said, in a relaxed, wide-ranging, 30-minute session with Ottawa media. “I’d even put it – the next year is pivotal to our organization.”

Dorion vowed the 31st-place, rebuilding Senators would contend for a playoff spot next season, make the playoffs the year after that and be a Stanley Cup contender in three seasons. For folks scoring at home.
“And those are words from the GM,” Dorion said. “It has to be like that. Maybe I’m too positive, too blunt, but I really believe in these statements.”

I get he says silly things a lot, like the time he claimed Brannstrom was his new girlfriend (one of my favs), but this is incredibly straight forward, and he doubled down on the statement right after making it.

 

[BondraTime]

How you see it doesn't invalidate what he said though.

Senators GM Pierre Dorion vows team will be Cup contender soon - Sportsnet.ca

OTTAWA — Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said recently that the hockey operations side needs to “get their act together” in the next six months.

In his post-season address to the media, general manager Pierre Dorion didn’t dispute what his boss was laying down.

“I totally agree with that,” Dorion said, in a relaxed, wide-ranging, 30-minute session with Ottawa media. “I’d even put it – the next year is pivotal to our organization.”

Dorion vowed the 31st-place, rebuilding Senators would contend for a playoff spot next season, make the playoffs the year after that and be a Stanley Cup contender in three seasons. For folks scoring at home.
“And those are words from the GM,” Dorion said. “It has to be like that. Maybe I’m too positive, too blunt, but I really believe in these statements.”

I get he says silly things a lot, like the time he claimed Brannstrom was his new girlfriend (one of my favs), but this is incredibly straight forward, and he doubled down on the statement right after making it.

One would think it's straight forward, not sure how anyone could try and spin it. He said it, word for word.

 

[topshelf15]

This team needs elite level talent,and we wont get it drafting in the middle ...Making the playoffs should be the last thing this team needs to do,let the kids run and gun and have fun with no pressure...But finishing with a lottery pick is a must for us moving forward

 

[coladin]

This team needs elite level talent,and we wont get it drafting in the middle ...Making the playoffs should be the last thing this team needs to do,let the kids run and gun and have fun with no pressure...But finishing with a lottery pick is a must for us moving forward

It really is a must. I would be happy finishing 27th, 28th. I personally don’t want to be last again, but a lotto pick yes

 

[topshelf15]

It really is a must. I would be happy finishing 27th, 28th. I personally don’t want to be last again, but a lotto pick yes

The kids will be entertaining ,and go a million miles in both directions...But there is no point in rushing to be a playoff team

 

[BondraTime]

It really is a must. I would be happy finishing 27th, 28th. I personally don’t want to be last again, but a lotto pick yes

I want the best chance at picking one of Lafrenierre or Byfield, don't really care where we finish as it's gong to be an awful season statistically regardless.

If we end up picking outside the top 4/5 (Laf/Byfield/Raymond/Holtz/Lundell, and even then only 2 of those guys are absolute sure things at this point IMO) it was an absolute waste of a season.

Getting a guy like Barron or Drysdale or Rossi at 6/7/8/etc. would be great, but these guys are not the type you hope for in a season like that, the Sens need Lafrenierre or Byfield. That is the Ehlers/Nylander/Nurse/Trouba/Kadri area. We need the Heiskanen/Dahlin/Matthews/Eichel area.

W need to win a lottery pick, which odds are against. We should imo be finishing last to ensure we only move down to 4th overall rather than finish 3/4/5/6 and slide down to 6/7/8/9 in the high chance we don't win a lottery pick.

 

[FormentonTheFuture]

It really is a must. I would be happy finishing 27th, 28th. I personally don’t want to be last again, but a lotto pick yes

Nothing is wrong with this thinking, but if they somehow made the playoffs I would not complain. It’s fun as f*** and it improves the vibe of the fan base

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

AHL-level defenceman who was a lefty fighter.... did we just hire Boro? It all makes sense now!!

I think Boro has his eye on POHO

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Can't wait for the Press Conference!

Bingo

 

[coladin]

Nothing is wrong with this thinking, but if they somehow made the playoffs I would not complain. It’s fun as **** and it improves the vibe of the fan base

That is what I’m thinking . I mean, 74 points was in that 27-28 window, that would be great.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Joking aside. I mean the guy is a players coach apparently and we're going to have a young team of nobodies. Maybe he is not the worst choice. I don't even care who the coach is but I have one question......

Why is a head coach named before a POHO?

Its not really a POHO hence the overwhelming interest .. Its someone to help Dorion , not work above him

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

The Leafs didn't have a very talented D core. Their most talented guy was a Norris candidate.

You can system all day, but you can't cover up Jake Gardiner's glaring deficiencies. I'd be concerned if he had a talented group, but he just didn't. And the most talented guy he had was a Norris candidate.

I jsut find assistant coaches hard to evaluate with stuff like this. Was he operating under Babcock? Did he want to run a different system? Just so many unknowns.

I understood their record when Gardner was out was not very good. He gets a lot of flack and he does make some glaring mistakes but ... he'd probably be #2 here in Ottawa

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

We keep hiring cheap, inexperienced coaches and firing them when they don't work out. I'll be surprised if Smith makes it through his contract.

Set up to fail... Contend for a playoff spot this year, Contend in the playoffs the following year... Dorion said the GM said it had to be that way.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Hell yeah Cody Ceci!

He's going to love Boro ... I mean really love him

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

He is bilingual btw lmao.

that's generous

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

 

[L'Aveuglette]

«C’est décevant» -Jacques Martin - TVA Sports

For those of you who can't read french:

Essentially Jacques says he's disappointed that he wasn't chosen and felt he had a good interview with Dorion, mentioning that his experience teaching young players would have been of great benefit to the organisation considering the similarities between now and when he was originally hired in '96. He also says his experience as GM would have been helpful to Dorion in his daily duties, which to me seems like it might have been what killed his chances of being hired.

 

[Samboni]

Didn’t someone post that Simpson hated Smith?

 

[FormentonTheFuture]

«C’est décevant» -Jacques Martin - TVA Sports

For those of you who can't read french:

Essentially Jacques says he's disappointed that he wasn't chosen and felt he had a good interview with Dorion, mentioning that his experience teaching young players would have been of great benefit to the organisation considering the similarities between now and when he was originally hired in '96. He also says his experience as GM would have been helpful to Dorion in his daily duties, which to me seems like it might have been what killed his chances of being hired.

I would have loved Jacques but that point about helping the GM shouldn’t have any bearing. The coach should coach and the GM should GM. Boucher had a ton of say in player personnel and it didn’t help.

 

[Daffy]

Dorion actually said that no other candidate interviewed has had the level of success that Smith has.. I mean wow. Just wow lol

 

[Micklebot]

Dorion actually said that no other candidate interviewed has had the level of success that Smith has.. I mean wow. Just wow lol

When did he say that? Is that in the presser?

 

[FormentonTheFuture]

Dorion actually said that no other candidate interviewed has had the level of success that Smith has.. I mean wow. Just wow lol

The quote was the drive + success. I’d have to check but did any other candidate win a championship as head coach? Maybe Roy?

 

[FormentonTheFuture]

When did he say that? Is that in the presser?

Senators' GM Pierre Dorion says new head coach D.J. Smith is 'going to knock it out the park'

“For us, D.J. checked off all the boxes," Dorion noted at the introductory presser last Thursday. "There were numerous things we liked about D.J. One thing is his passion. I think his level of drive, his level of success didn't match any other candidate we had. We really, really enjoyed his presence."

Seems like a normal statement to me. They liked his overall package.

 

[Micklebot]

Senators' GM Pierre Dorion says new head coach D.J. Smith is 'going to knock it out the park'

“For us, D.J. checked off all the boxes," Dorion noted at the introductory presser last Thursday. "There were numerous things we liked about D.J. One thing is his passion. I think his level of drive, his level of success didn't match any other candidate we had. We really, really enjoyed his presence."

Seems like a normal statement to me. They liked his overall package.

Wait a second... "his level of success didn't match any other candidate we had" uhm... I hope that's just Dorion being Dorion and muddling up his words because that doesn't sound like a good thing. Perhaps he meant "wasn't matched by", and perhaps he meant, his drive to succeed as opposed to "his level of success".

 

[FormentonTheFuture]

Wait a second... "his level of success didn't match any other candidate we had" uhm... I hope that's just Dorion being Dorion and muddling up his words because that doesn't sound like a good thing. Perhaps he meant "wasn't matched by", and perhaps he meant, his drive to succeed as opposed to "his level of success".

I mean it’s obvious what he meant lol. We don’t need a discussion over this