D.J. Smith would like nothing more than to return as the Ottawa Senators‘ head coach next season.
But he covered all the bases in his season wrap-up address, just in case he is not back.
“All I can do is my job, until they tell me I’m not doing my job,” said Smith on Friday. “My (task) was to come in here four years ago and try to guide a rebuild, which I think we’ve done well. We’ve done it without jumping the gun, without finding a bunch of free agents. We’ve allowed the kids to take the steering wheel, and that takes longer, but in my opinion you’re going to last longer because the kids do have the wheel.”
Smith, 45, is under contract for next season, but is caught in the uncertainty of a franchise ownership change this summer. When that transition happens, a new group might have its own ideas about the leadership of the hockey program.
Until then, general manager Pierre Dorion and the club’s board of directors will call the shots. It’s unlikely they will make a coaching change at this time – Dorion will speak to reporters on Monday for his take on the near future. But the timing of the turnover in ownership will be key. If it is a late summer transition, it wouldn’t make sense to insert a new GM and coach just before the season. There is lots to play out in the weeks ahead.
Two of the team’s young stars, Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle, spoke glowingly about their coach.
“From my experience, I wouldn’t be in my position if it wasn’t for D.J.,” said Tkachuk, the Senators’ captain. “He’s given me so many opportunities to become the player I am but also the person I am. He’s been a huge influence . . . I believe he’s the coach for us still.
“We all love playing for him. He makes our team that much better and I firmly believe in him.”
Stützle, 21, jumped into the No. 1 centre position when Josh Norris got injured, and took on a penalty-killing role while putting up 90 points. The pride of Mannheim, Germany feels that Smith was a big part of that success.
“He trusted me as much as you can probably trust a player,” Stützle said. “I’m just really thankful for everything he’s done for me. And I think everyone in that room can say the same thing.”
Of course, player endorsement will only go so far. And these young players have not played for another NHL coach besides Smith.
The Senators finished the season with a 39-35-8 record for 86 points, missing the final wild-card spot by six points. That is a 13-point improvement over last season but marks the sixth consecutive season Ottawa has not qualified for the playoffs.
Another poor start hurt the cause. The Sens went 2-10-1 from Oct. 27 to Nov. 23.
On the flip side, Smith termed his team’s play in the months of December and January as “exceptional” and felt that the late western swing (1-3 from March 6-14) was critical as goaltending injuries left rookie goalies Mads Sogaard and Kevin Mandolese with a heavy burden.
“When we got really close, that trip out west is probably what put us away,” Smith said. “Losing both goalies (Cam Talbot and Anton Forsberg) and going out there with a couple of young guys, with the injuries we had.”
With or without him, Smith feels this team is ready to take the step next season to a playoff position and that it will contend for years to come.
“I’m not one for predictions, because everyone is trying to get in (to the post-season),” Smith said. “But this group is ready to hold themselves accountable and push themselves to be playing at this time of year.”
If Smith does get the green light to return, he said he plans to spend the summer working on details to improve the team — everything from practice habits to style of play.
“(I will) do a deep dive into all the teams that have had success over the last five, six years – how much do they practise? How long do they practise and all those things. We have to do that so we’re all prepared to give our guys the best chance.”
Smith’s detractors among the fan base will point to the team’s inconsistent play in its own zone, poor road record and issues with five-on-five scoring that don’t match up with more successful teams.
After working in Toronto as an assistant and then Ottawa as head coach, Smith says he is prepared to face criticism.
“I think the advantages and disadvantages of coaching in Canada, you can handle anything,” Smith said. “I mean, the fingers should be pointed at you. You’re the coach. But that’s not the case in every other city. When you’re in Canada, these fans are dialled right in. They love their team and it has to push you to be better.
“If I am back next year, my job is to get this team into the playoffs. And these fans deserve that. They’ve been patient. They came out to the games, they supported our group.”
Smith says that while coaching young players early in the rebuilding process, the focus was on giving them confidence to learn and grow. Now, it is time to apply that knowledge to a more seasoned approach to winning hockey.
While saying he’s used to hearing the critics, Smith did admit he has tuned out social media and other “outside noise.” He’s learned, he says, “not to take things too serious.”
Before he can focus on the Senators again, and perhaps before he even knows his fate in Ottawa, Smith will be joining the Team Canada staff once again at the upcoming World Hockey Championship in Latvia and Finland. Smith will be an assistant to head coach Andre Tourigny.
He says he will go to the worlds to learn, hope to add a gold medal to the silver medal he won last year, and take what comes with the changes in Ottawa.
“I know that I did my best,” Smith said. “I did it, not only for the organization and the city, but for the players that are under me. My job is to make them better, I feel I tried to make some guys better.
“Whatever happens, happens. If I get another opportunity I’m going to do my best and I believe wholeheartedly in this group — that we’re ready to go to the next level. And I think that without injuries, we would be there right now. And I hate using that as an excuse but we just had so many.
“I’m going to go to the worlds and I’m going to learn. I’m a coach and that’s what I do. If they tell me I can’t coach here, I’m going to go somewhere else and coach. I’m 45, I’d like to coach as long as I can. And I’ll continue to get better.”
No commitment from DeBrincat
Alex DeBrincat is a pending restricted free agent and Dorion has already said he would qualify the winger at $9 million for next season, if the sides don’t agree on a new contract. But DeBrincat didn’t sound like a player in a hurry to sign back in Ottawa.
“I mean, definitely open to anything,” DeBrincat told reporters on Friday. “I’m going to sit down with my family and obviously my agent over the next couple of weeks and months and kind of figure out what the best thing is for us as a family.”
DeBrincat, 25, and his wife, Lyndsey Bice, are the parents of a young son and DeBrincat has said numerous times that there have been off-ice challenges moving to Canada from the U.S. DeBrincat’s production was also down from the two 41-goal seasons he had in Chicago. He scored 27 goals and had 66 points in his first Ottawa season.
Holden, Talbot not expected back
Defenceman Nick Holden was a great influence on the young Senators defenceman these last two seasons. In fact, rookie star Jake Sanderson said he had a debt of gratitude not only to frequent defence partner Travis Hamonic, but also to Holden for his off-ice guidance.
But with the addition of Jakob Chychrun and the likelihood of Hamonic’s return, there isn’t room for Holden, who was told by Dorion on Friday morning he wouldn’t be invited back. Holden, 35, says he will see if he can find a team through free agency in July.
As for veteran goaltender Cam Talbot, it looks as though he is one-and-done as a Senator. Acquired last summer for fellow goalie Filip Gustavsson, Talbot had a difficult season plagued by three separate injuries that kept him out of the lineup for lengthy periods.
“I’ve never had a year like this before,” Talbot said.
At 35, Talbot feels he still has more to give as a player and will be looking to sign on somewhere. He didn’t completely close the door on Ottawa – “never say never” – but the feeling is that the organization will move on from Talbot and try to find a veteran backup to go with Anton Forsberg and Sogaard next season.
Talbot appeared in 36 games this season and had a 17-14-2 record with a 2.93 goals-against average and .898 save percentage.
Goaltending was a major issue for the Senators all season.