There's A Spot In Hockey For Him

Say what you want about all the good, young talent that the Ottawa Senators have stockpiled, but the news that head coach DJ Smith and assistant coach Davis Payne being fired today should be a reminder that the NHL is still all about winning now. The Senators currently sit with an 11-15-0 record and comfortably out of a playoff spot, and it didn't help that they looked lost at times in their game against the Vegas Golden Knights which they lost 6-3. As well-liked as Smith was by both players and media, it may be true that nice guys finish last as the 46 year-old Smith will watch from home for the remainder of the season as the Senators try to get back on track and secure their first playoff berth since 2017. That doesn't seem like it will be easy.

It's no secret that Smith was dealt some bad hands during his time behind the bench in Ottawa. Shane Pinto's absence thanks to a contract hold-out combined with his gambling indiscretions kept one of Smith's best young forwards off the ice this season. The Senators haven't had a bonafide starting netminder for a few years, and the tandem of Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg have posted an .889 save percentage - 28th-best in the NHL. Ottawa scores 3.35 goals-per-game, but they surrender 3.42 goals which, if my math is correct, isn't good enough defensively to make up for the lack of goaltending. In short, Smith never really got the team he was promised by management due to injuries, suspensions, and poor signings.

That's not to say he didn't do his best to get the Senators to the playoffs. The team finished six points back of eighth-place Florida last season, and Smith looked to build on that 39-35-8 record with a number of key players returning. Things didn't quite pan out, though, and Smith was relieved of his duties while still standing up for the guys who may have ultimately cost him his job.

"As a coach, you take all the responsibility and I deserve that, my team's not winning," Smith told reporters in Tempe, Arizona where the Senators practiced on Monday. "I'm the one that's putting them on the ice, I'm the one making the decisions, so I'm my own biggest critic. But in saying that, I believe in this group and I believe in the leaders and the core guys that they're going to find a way."

Smith made it clear that it wasn't for a lack effort by the players, stating, "The one thing I know is these guys are trying. Part of the growing process is figuring out how to do it right for 60 minutes. Every first period we're coming out in the right way. And we've found ways in the second period maybe to not play the right way. That was the message today, but ultimately, it's more mental than it is physical or effort based. I know that the leadership group here is outstanding, and I know that these guys are doing everything in their power to get this thing turned around."

How many coaches are going to defend their players and assume all of the responsibility for how the team played after they've been fired? As I wrote above, this was a guy who legitimately cares for and gets to know his players, and he wants to see them succeed. However, when ownership and management changed, everyone had a sense that Smith's days may be numbered. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun wrote,

"Smith was aware this decision was coming. He's in the final year of his contract, there has been no talk of an extension and all bets were off when Dorion was fired."

That dark cloud no longer has to hang over his head any longer as the Senators are moving on without Smith. I can't see DJ Smith being out of hockey for long, though, based on the relationships he establishes with players, and that's precisely the kind of forward thinking this game needs. Having coaches care about their players and getting to know players is a breath of fresh air when it comes to the old boys' club, so getting Smith back in the game sooner than later is better for everyone in and around the game.

The Senators didn't waste much time, though, as they replaced Smith and Payne with former head coach Jacques Martin and former captain Daniel Alfredsson. If you're asking why the Senators circled back to two guys they fired and traded, respectively, Ottawa president of hockey operations Steve Staios told reporters, "A lot of our issues in our team play are the strengths of Jacques Martin: detailed, structured, organized, disciplined. To me, in theory, he's the perfect fit for everything that we had been lacking in those areas."

We'll see if the 71 year-old Martin can change the fortunes for this team, but I have a feeling he may have a hard time relating to the young team Ottawa has aseembled. Having Alfredsson there as a buffer will help, though, and there's no shortage of respect that the players have for him and what he's done in the nation's capital. These two might be able to structure just enough defence to help out their struggling goalies, and there may be a way for Ottawa to score more goals than what they give up every night. As Smith said, though, the players are working, so I'd expect the Senators to be a better team when the calendar hits 2024.

Will that lead to a playoff spot? Sitting 12 points back of the final wild card spot doesn't leave a lot of room for hope, so we'll see how the Senators fare down the stretch. If they can somehow get all their talent on the ice together and figure out a way to improve in the defensive zone, there may just be a shot at seeing the Ottawa Senators in the postseason.

And maybe DJ Smith will land on a playoff-bound team as well. If he wants to take the rest of the season off, though, there likely will be people calling in the summer to find out if he's willing to join a staff or run a bench once again. After all, good things happen to good people, and DJ Smith seems like he's good people based on how everyone has described him.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!