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News Article: Sens hire DJ Smith as head coach

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aragorn said:
So far I'm liking what I'm hearing from DJ Smith especially that he loves the way the Tkachuk's play. Hopefully, he builds this team the way St Louis has & we end up with a big tough skilled team.
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I don't have any issues with us ever resembling St Louis, but the idea of copying the last team to win the cup should die. 16 wins doesn't justify a massive trend change. It could have easily been Tampa winning the cup.
 
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Micklebot said:
Interesting to hear Neil make those comments even if they aren't surprising. It's a tough balancing act for a coach to be accepting of input from the players when things aren't working and getting them to stick with something when you think its just a matter of getting the bounces or developing the chemistry to make a systwm instictive.
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A former sen thinking the players are in charge of how the team should play is the type of thing this team needs to distance itself from. It’s been a problem for years now.
These guys all need to buy into one system and accept they are the players and not coaches
At the end of the day everyone’s view is slanted to what’s best for themselves, the best thing for a coach is winning, the best things for a player are points and being ‘the guy’
 
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DJ again said he wants a fast physical team that finishes their checks.

Would be nice to see again since under Boucher nobody hit anyone in the offensive zone
 
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FormentonTheFuture said:
I’m just speculating. I would imagine he would have definitely stayed on as an assistant coach.
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I thought there was some rumours before Smith was hired that he was 100% on stcking around. I might have my timelines off. I think with Kelly, the official explanation was that he wanted to spend time with family. Not sure you get more than the team decided to part ways if it had been the team deciding to go a different direction.
 
Micklebot said:
I thought there was some rumours before Smith was hired that he was 100% on stcking around. I might have my timelines off. I think with Kelly, the official explanation was that he wanted to spend time with family. Not sure you get more than the team decided to part ways if it had been the team deciding to go a different direction.
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Smith definitely decided to go in a different direction for assistant coach and the team said Kelly has a role in the org if he wants it. I think this is just kelly deciding to take time off since he didn’t get the assistant job.
 
Micklebot said:
I thought there was some rumours before Smith was hired that he was 100% on stcking around. I might have my timelines off. I think with Kelly, the official explanation was that he wanted to spend time with family. Not sure you get more than the team decided to part ways if it had been the team deciding to go a different direction.
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In a strange turn of events, former Sens players leave the org to spend more time with family. Didn't Alfie leave for the same reason?. :sarcasm:

Even Steve Warne is questioning the reasoning.
 
Warne stirring the pot again with cheap shots.

If we’re speculating, it makes sense that if DJ didn’t want to use Kelly as an AC, he likely decided to take a season off to reevaluate his coaching/career options, and is using that time to spend with his fam.

His around the Sens kids right now, so I doesn’t look like he’s upset or chose to leave the team.

We have wanted the coach have more say on his associates, and this is what it can look like sometimes I figure.

I see Kelly coming back in some sort of capacity once he and the team figure something out.
 
Mentioned this in another thread, but I don't think the head coach typically has made the decisions about development coaches. I think that falls under the director of player development's staff (when we have one I guess), along with the conditioning coach.

So, Kelly not being an assistant is on Smith, but him not wanting to continue on in the role he was hired to less than a year ago, I am not so sure.
 
Micklebot said:
Mentioned this in another thread, but I don't think the head coach typically has made the decisions about development coaches. I think that falls under the director of player development's staff (when we have one I guess), along with the conditioning coach.

So, Kelly not being an assistant is on Smith, but him not wanting to continue on in the role he was hired to less than a year ago, I am not so sure.
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It’s interesting. Could be as simple as him working as an assistant in Belleville, and then getting a taste of being an NHL assistant, has given him a lot to think about.

Does he want to work in player development like Donovan, or does he want to stay with coaching and cut his teeth in the minors to try to work his way up to head coach? Maybe a front office job is more to his liking?

It sounds like the Sens would be willing to make room for him somewhere if he wants it, or he could try and cut his coaching chops in junior. Who knows, it’s lots to think about and it’s definitely nice that an nhl hockey career can give you the means to take time to ponder your future career path in a relative financial stress free environment.
 
HousePerseus said:
Not sure if this was posted anywhere yet.

Candidates for Ottawa’s remaining assistant coach opening include Stu Barnes, Kris Knoblauch, Dave Lowry, Davis Payne and Manny Viveiros.

31 Thoughts: Could short-term deals break RFA stalemates? - Sportsnet.ca
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Knoblauch and Viveiros are strong candidates - both said to be excellent communicators and great with players. Viveiros reputed to be an excellent PP and offensive coach with a fast pace style of play. Lowry and Barnes are experienced and come with NHL playing experience. I can't say I know a ton about Payne but he was very well thought of when hired by Buffalo and LA. Said to be very motivated, detailed and always looking to stay ahead of trends and innovative.

All 5 are excellent candidates. I'm hoping for Viveiros and one more from that group. Probably Knoblauch or Payne.
 
JD1 said:
Are we talking the assistant job?

it seems kind of clear that it is Smith doing the hiring and he's going in another direction.
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The assistant job was never going to be a fit with Smith ideology. He said he could never imagine a person who wasn't a dman coaching the D, and he wanted his other coach to be a PP specialist.

I always interpreted the comments about Kelly not wanting the job as referring to going back to his previous role before Boucher was fired.

Tbh, with 18 games worth of experience as an assistant at any level that I'm aware of, I'm not sure Kelly has the resume to be the one I want with a relatively inexperienced HC. Would have liked him to do another year working as a development coach then maybe coach in the AHL.

The guys we are apparently interviewing all look like good candidates, might be for the best regardless of why Kelly isn't here.
 
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