Speculation: The coaching search continues

[Beech]

Garrioch: Travis Green emerges as top choice for next coach for the Ottawa Senators

It is expected that Travis Green will be introduced as the 15th bench boss in modern Senators franchise history as early as Wednesday.

ottawacitizen.com

booboos's article.

A paragraph that should have us thinking. the party about "seeing if something better comes along" got me...

Green was still a top candidate for the Devils job but it’s clear Fitzgerald is waiting to see if something better comes along and that’s why he granted Green permission to speak with other teams.

 

[flyingfingers]

Sounds from that like NJD are hoping one of Sullivan, Cooper or Brindamour gets fired but weren't comfortable blocking Green from intervening on a maybe our dream candidate will fall in our laps.

Rumors are Berube is between them and Toronto pending the Sheldon Keefe situation, while McLellan is also in the running there.

Although if Keefe shakes loose and he's willing to forego his Toronto salary, I bet he ends up becoming a candidate for the Devils too.

 

[The Waffler]

The cup is ours

 

[BondraTime]

Definitely agree with Berube, and likely Staios and Andlauer, that this team isn’t going to be competing for the playoffs.

There is a lot of work to do, and it’s more than the additions and subtractions from this off-season.

Fan and management/coach expectations are at odds in my opinion

It really, really sucks where the team is in 2024 after nearly a decade long rebuild

 

[flyingfingers]

Those were also lucky circumstances. Muckler was an experienced guy willing to come, same as Murray, but we already have some reports of a guy like Berube not being willing.

At the end of the day money talks, and based on these hires, it's easy to assume that Andlauer is not willing to pony up.

Berube is a $5-7M per year coach.
DJ was at $1M.
Green is probably ~$1.5M.

Andlauer was probably willing to increase that line item by 50%, not 700%.

Let's not kid ourselves. Cash will still play into every decision made here, that's obvious. The other "front-office hires" don't scream a track record of success either. Their guys from the OHL, CFL and TSN. We're not exactly poaching staff from the Avalanche or Rangers.

 

[Wondercarrot]

New Jersey thought so much of the job he did as an interim they gave him a hearty no thanks for next year…
We put an interim coach in all year, only to end end with New Jerseys interim rejected trash.

I’ll hope for the best but these are the optics.
Feel the energy, feel the excitement.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

My position is that I don't have enough information to make a proper evaluation of Green, so I will wait and see how he does before passing any judgement.

Greens track record isn't extensive at the NHL level, and there's some mitigating factors in there that helpp explain why things may have gone off the rails,

I'm not so much saying Green will be great as just saying maybe we should pump the breaks on assuming he'll be bad.

It's not so much that we know he'll be bad, it's just that Andlauer came in with this bravado of "best in class" and Green is pretty much the exact opposite of a "best in class" hire lol.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

At the end of the day money talks, and based on these hires, it's easy to assume that Andlauer is not willing to pony up.

Berube is a $5-7M per year coach.
DJ was at $1M.
Green is probably ~$1.5M.

Andlauer was probably willing to increase that line item by 50%, not 700%.

Let's not kid ourselves. Cash will still play into every decision made here, that's obvious.

So not best in class is what you're saying

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

At the end of the day money talks, and based on these hires, it's easy to assume that Andlauer is not willing to pony up.

Berube is a $5-7M per year coach.
DJ was at $1M.
Green is probably ~$1.5M.

Andlauer was probably willing to increase that line item by 50%, not 700%.

Let's not kid ourselves. Cash will still play into every decision made here, that's obvious.

I'm not going to go making those assumptions without more information.

Money is not so easily pointed at Berube as the reason he wouldn't come. He was the only slam dunk candidate too. Guys like McClelland will command similar, but is that even wise based on track record.

DJ was what when he was hired? Of course he leveled up, doesn't change that they needed to "walk on water" to get paid a competitive salary relative to their peers under Melnyk.

Green, we have no clue. Of course, he is not in position to demand a high salary, but we also don't have numerous direct quotes from the owner indicating a cheap coach is all you ever need and it's foolish to think otherwise.

Everybody bitched and moaned about the guaranteed nepotism hire of Gruden and that didn't happen, so here we are.

 

[flyingfingers]

So not best in class is what you're saying

Best in class as permitted by the budget constraints of a small market and an owner in the bottom quartile of the NHL in terms of wealth who had to really stretch himself to purchase the team.

Unfortunately that doesn't roll of the tongue as well.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Didnt Jacques Martin have a say in the next coach hire?

 

[flyingfingers]

I'm not going to go making those assumptions without more information.

Money is not so easily pointed at Berube as the reason he wouldn't come.

DJ was what when he was hired? Of course he leveled up, doesn't change that they needed to "walk on water" to get paid a competitive salary relative to their peers under Melnyk.

Green, we have no clue. Of course, he is not in position to demand a high salary, but we also don't have numerous direct quotes from the owner indicating a cheap coach is all you ever need and it's foolish to think otherwise.

Well Bruce said Staios had an "informal" conversation with Berube, but no interview or serious discussion took place.

So they certainly didn't turn over every stone, and it's probably because they knew they couldn't afford his number.

You would think that if money was not an issue, Berube would've at least sat down to hear what the Staios/Andlauer plan is, or they would have convinced him to take the 3-4 hours to do so.

And no, we don't have a direct quote. But Andlauer has made 4 "newsworthy" hires so far. None scream experience or a track record of winning at the NHL level.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Didnt Jacques Martin have a say in the next coach hire?

Yes, that was said numerous times.

Well Bruce said Staios had an "informal" conversation with Berube, and never actually interviewed him.

So they certainly didn't turn over every stone, and it's probably because they knew they couldn't afford his number.

You would think that if money was not an issue, Berube would've at least sat down to hear what the Staios/Andlauer plan is.

Does an informal convo guarantee it was a divide over money? Did he fly to Barbadoes and have an argument with a drunk?

Could have just as easily been, I'll come for an interview, after X, Y and Z are off the table, but lets be honest, one of them will be, so...

This team is not good, and has serious concerns about what's in the cupboard to improve it. It's not that out of the question for a guy like Berube to also maybe feel like this team is far off. Lots of people are saying it.

 

[milkbag]

So did we not hire Travis Green? I just got a push notification from Google saying we did. The internet wouldn't lie to me, right?

 

[hockey20000]

We're sooo past the "benefit of the doubt" phase though. We haven't made the playoffs in seven god damn years. We needed a real winning coach.

maybe so personally i think green wont last 3 years and 3 more missed playoffs but nothing we can do but wait and see now.

 

[Wondercarrot]

FWIW - Green made $2.75 million his last year in Vancouver.

 

[flyingfingers]

Does an informal convo guarantee it was a divide over money? Did he fly to Barbadoes and have an argument with a drunk?

Could have just as easily been, I'll come for an interview, after X, Y and Z are off the table, but lets be honest, one of them will be, so...

This team is not good, and has serious concerns about what's in the cupboard to improve it. It's not that out of the question for a guy like Berube to also maybe feel like this team is far off. Lots of people are saying it.

No it doesn't guarantee it. But like I said, Steve Staios has next to no experience and is now both the POHO and GM. Dave Poulin spent the last 10 years at TSN. Travis Green is not an example of winning and is certainly one of the lower paid coaches in the league. Sean Tierney has never worked for an NHL team before this job. Neither has Matt Nichol.

There are a few more people, but this is still very much a budget front-office. A lot of former Hamilton Bulldog employees.

Heck, we're a couple months away from the draft and UFA and as far as I can tell, we don't have a chief amateur or pro scout? How many hats can Staios wear?

Maybe they'll all prove to be winners and it'll work out. But we haven't made the "investments" people were hoping for, after all the best in class talk.

Andlauer would have been better off keeping that little phrase to himself. There doesn't seem to be any sort of urgency.

We still haven't seen a signing under this regime, but we'll soon find out with Shane Pinto and free-agency. Are we spending money? Or shopping at Value Village?

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

FWIW - Green made $2.75 million his last year in Vancouver.

He'll make less than half of that here.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Ed Willes: Green's passion for process, attention to detail give Canucks' coach an edge

“Sometimes a pro’s idea of work is a little different than the real world. It’s not like you have a 10 o’clock practice then you’re done for the day. Travis was a w…

theprovince.com

 

[PlayOn]

Lalji: If the Sens are ready to be coached, Travis Green might be the right guy at the right time

TSN's Farhan Lalji joins the show to talk about his upcoming induction into the media wing of the CFL Hall of Fame, Travis Green's tenure with the Canucks, and to look ahead to Vancouver's series with Edmonton

www.tsn.ca

This was an interesting listen.

The gist is Tocchet and Green are great friends and they think alike and coach similarly. Farhan says Tocchet got the Vancouver group at a different time and it comes down to whether players are ready to be coached. The younger guys didn’t always connect to Green due to maturity, but also believes that Green himself has evolved since and thinks the young guys in Ottawa might be ready.

He also says in the bubble playoffs Green’s tactics and in-game adjustments were at a really high level. He gave a lot of players opportunity. He also says he gave them a lot of rope but could’ve communicated better when mistakes were made.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Gotta say, NJ holding onto Green and being “interested” in keeping him but letting him talk to other teams because they think there might be something better is the most condescending thing I’ve seen and perfectly encapsulates the Ottawa Senators experience.

 

[GCK]

And I'd imagine that Green will be in the ~1.5M range, whereas McLellan/Berube would have been ~$5M and Evason ~$3M.

That's probably why he's being introduced on Wednesday, let's not kid ourselves.

Plus Staios doing two jobs at once. That saves Andlauer, ~$1-1.5M per year at least?

The crazy is gone, but we're back to Bryden era penny pinching. Hopefully we hit on drafts and cheap contracts.

There’s no way Green is only making 1.5M. As much as I’m not thrilled about this hire I can pretty much guarantee it wasn’t a financial decision.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

No it doesn't guarantee it. But like I said, Steve Staios has next to no experience and is now both the POHO and GM. Dave Poulin spent the last 10 years at TSN. Travis Green is not an example of winning and is certainly one of the lower paid coaches in the league. Sean Tierney has never worked for an NHL team before this job. Neither has Matt Nichol.

There are more people, but this is still very much a budget front-office.

Maybe they'll all prove to be winners. But we haven't made the "investments" people were hoping for, after all the best in class talk.

Andlauer would have been better off keeping that little phrase to himself.

Sure, but those are different statements. I don't think money plays in to the SS hire, but I'm fine if people want to criticize the nepotism angle to it. For better or worse, Andlauer believes in him, but I don't think he's the guy because of the salary.

Poulin, whatever, he's an assistant. We also have Bowness. I don't expect huge names to come in as an Ass GM.

Tierney and Nichol are people I couldn't possibly weigh in on.

I honestly could not care less about that phrase. I just want a quality hockey team, and I still think they are taking steps towards that. I'll have more of an opinion on SS and Co. after the summer.

I do think you're right that money is still going to matter to a certain extent, but I don't think it's dictating all the decisions like it used to, I think they're just going about their business hiring the people they want.

 

[Micklebot]

Didnt Jacques Martin have a say in the next coach hire?

Yes, he was supposed to be involved in the decision. I would be shocked if he wasn't there for all the interviews. But why bother with interviews when we can look at Hockey DB and fan complaints on Hf boards....

 

[Ouroboros]

FWIW - Green made $2.75 million his last year in Vancouver.

That's much more than I would have expected. Crazy where coaching salaries have gone over the last 10 years or thereabouts.

DJ probably makes more scratch as an assistant in LA than as top dog in Ottawa.