News Article: Sens hire DJ Smith as head coach

[Cosmix]

In the end it doesnt really matter,we need a top 2 pick next year...Us being the worst team in the league,is exactly what we should be looking at accomplishing

I hope DJ is on board with that objective. Then we have Dorion promising a competitive team for the playoffs. Ugh.

 

[BatherSeason]

As group the leafs blueline sucks so bad Melnyk that was impressed that Smith got a mediocre performance.

Must have been used as leverage to keep Smith's salary down.

 

[Micklebot]

DJ Smith had the least leverage of all the candidates. It is very safe to assume he was the cheapest option.

We'll never know but this organization's track record speaks for itself.

His fallback was continuing to be a assistant coach for an upward trending team that has a penchant for paying its staff very well. Seems like a good spot to negotiate from.

 

[Engineer]

I hope DJ is on board with that objective. Then we have Dorion promising a competitive team for the playoffs. Ugh.

He answered that we need to keep expectations realistic (I hope PD is taking notes), and that he will be building a foundation for success.

The exact kind of answer you want to hear for a blown up team. None of that delusional "competing for a playoff spot" garbage.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

His fallback was continuing to be a assistant coach for an upward trending team that has a penchant for paying its staff very well. Seems like a good spot to negotiate from.

Yes but he wants to be HC and knows that the person in charge of hiring, Melnyk, is broke and cheap.

 

[BondraTime]

Advanced stats guys shouldn't be too pleased with this

DJ is saying the right things.

I need to get my autographed D.J Smith rookie card out

 

[Do Make Say Think]

I am meh on coaching choice, but did Dorion just say he is "okay with guys that dont have talent, but wont accept guys that dont have a winning attitude?"

*markborocop.jpeg*

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

So did he have to take a pay cut to take the job?

Safe to say Toronto probably pays their assistant's more than we pay head coaches.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

I hope DJ is on board with that objective. Then we have Dorion promising a competitive team for the playoffs. Ugh.

Was that like the summer 2018 promise of "We will be better"?

"You know what will make these fans excited? Assurance from a hockey genius like Pierre Dorion!"

 

[Dino Tkachuk]

Yes but he wants to be HC and knows that the person in charge of hiring, Melnyk, is broke and cheap.

Couldn't you say the same for all the candidates as I believe they all wanted to be a HC and know the Sens are broke? I'm not sure how that relates to getting a discount on salary.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Couldn't you say the same for all the candidates as I believe they all wanted to be a HC and know the Sens are broke?

Yes but the other ones don't have bad track records in the NHL. Smith does.

Again, this does not mean he can't be a good coach for us.

 

[GrantLemons]

The more PD talks, the deeper he digs. When he was asked the money question, he should have just said "No". Instead he spews on a bunch of bullshit and sounds like a pathetic moron who's flat out lying.

I can't believe even Eugene can listen to this guy speak publicly and think "That's my guy".

 

[Dino Tkachuk]

Yes but the other ones don't have bad track records in the NHL. Smith does.

Such a broad statement as there is so much we don't know. I'm not defending the hiring, I just don't understand the irrational anger.

 

[Sens Vader]

Dorion is so pathetic

Biggest idiot in the league...when can he finally f*** off

 

[Cosmix]

DJS wasn't in charge of deciding his defensive personnel. You can't make chicken salad out of chicken **** and DJS didn't buy the chicken ****.

Is he Moses? Can he lead this team to the promised land? I doubt it, under our current owner and GM.

At the end of the day (or is it at the end of Melnyk’ ownership and Dorion’GM tenure), he will have a few years to show what he can do with this team with its current talent-short roster.

 

[Knave]

A coach isn't going to solve this shitshow

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

The more PD talks, the deeper he digs. When he was asked the money question, he should have just said "No". Instead he spews on a bunch of bull**** and sounds like a pathetic moron who's flat out lying.

I can't believe even Eugene can listen to this guy speak publicly and think "That's my guy".

Pierre Dorion is such an arrogant, condescending jackass.

Crippled by Melnyk or not, I can't wait for the day he gets canned.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDoo]

Dorion is so pathetic

Biggest idiot in the league...when can he finally **** off

I had made a vow to never listen to Dorion again -- just to help keep my sanity.

Should I forego that vow? Is this presser worth listening to for some classic Dorion bozo talk?

 

[BatherSeason]

Advanced stats guys shouldn't be too pleased with this

DJ is saying the right things.

I need to get my autographed D.J Smith rookie card out

Advanced stats are a tool that can be used at the disposal of coaches/GMs, etc. People who love to rip analytics typically just can't be bothered to understand them.

 

[BatherSeason]

I had made a vow to never listen to Dorion again -- just to help keep my sanity.

Should I forego that vow? Is this presser worth listening to for some classic Dorion bozo talk?

It isn't nearly as bad as people are making it out to be.

 

[GrantLemons]

I had made a vow to never listen to Dorion again -- just to help keep my sanity.

Should I forego that vow? Is this presser worth listening to for some classic Dorion bozo talk?

No. I just happened to be driving while it was live on 1200.

 

[Micklebot]

Yes but the other ones don't have bad track records in the NHL. Smith does.

Again, this does not mean he can't be a good coach for us.

Bowness has a 115w-272L-45T record as head coach. That's not a bad track record?

Crawford ran the defence in Ottawa, how did that work out?

What role did Smith play in Rielly's growth as a player? Or Kadri as a defensive center?

 

[SanderSen]

Oh YAY! Another highly regarded junior/Minor/NHL assistant coach that gets to cut his teeth and learn in his first NHL head coaching job. Oh yes, feel the excitement for the fan base. This has worked soooo well for the numerous times the Sens have gone this route.

.. but perhaps a brilliant tank strategy, and he is the cheapy option. When a GM addresses the cost in the announcement he doth protest to much.

Who would have ever thought that Jacques Martin was the sexy option?

 

[Cosmix]

I mean technically its pretty hard for them to get any worse...

That interview was not all that informative or analytical. Just mostly fluff.

 

[Cosmix]

Smith, 42, becomes the 14th head coach in the team's history. He has spent the last four seasons as an assistant coach on Mike Babcock's staff with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He joined Toronto in 2015-16 after leading the Ontario Hockey League's Oshawa Generals to the 2015 Memorial Cup title.

In three seasons as head coach in Oshawa, Smith compiled a record of 135-53-3-13 and earned the honour of the OHL's Coach of the Year after guiding the Generals to a 42-20-0-6 record in 2013-14. Oshawa finished with a 51-11-2-4 record during their championship season in 2014-15.

Before his time in Oshawa, Smith spent six seasons as an assistant coach with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires. During his tenure in Windsor, the Spitfires captured back-to-back Memorial Cup championships in both 2009 and 2010.

Smith has also played professionally, appearing in 45 career NHL games as a defenceman with both the Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche after being selected with the 41st overall pick by the New York Islanders in the 1995 NHL Draft.

He also spent parts of nine seasons playing in the AHL with the St. John's Maple Leafs and the Hershey Bears. A native of Windsor, Ontario, Smith played his junior hockey with his hometown Spitfires from 1994-97.

"D.J. Smith is a winner. We believe he is the best person to drive the development and success of the Ottawa Senators," said general manager Pierre Dorion. "D.J. is a great communicator and an exceptional strategist. His passionate approach, coupled with his ability to teach the game, is exactly what we were looking for throughout the process. We're thrilled to welcome D.J. and his family to Ottawa."

More Dorion bull.