When asked about fans wanting a coaching change, Sens owner Michael Andlauer joked that maybe 30 fans in one section feel that way.
Head coach D.J. Smith is now in his fifth season with the Ottawa Senators and not only has he never steered the club to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Senators have had poor starts in every year of his tenure. That includes this season, where the Sens are 9-10 with a points percentage of .474, the third-worst in their conference.
So it's a common belief that Smith must be on the hottest of coaching hot seats in Ottawa.
That doesn't seem to be a view shared by the only guy who matters: new owner Michael Andlauer.
At the NHL Board of Governors Meetings in Seattle on Monday, Andlauer held an informal Q and A with reporters and was asked this very direct question by TSN's Gino Reda.
"At this point, it seems like (the fans) don't want DJ Smith behind the bench. How are you feeling about that?"
"Section 323. The 30 fans that are there. I don't know," Andlauer said.
Andlauer was trying to be lighthearted, as he usually is, but that reply probably won't be well received by a good portion of the fan base. If this were truly the isolated grumblings of only 30 fans, you wouldn't have someone of Reda's stature asking about it.
"At the end of the day, I do appreciate the fans. I love these fans," Andlauer said. "They're passionate. They've also gone six years without making the playoffs. So I totally understand their angst. The only thing I can say is that I'm as big a fan."
Andlauer urged patience when it came to the timelines on hirings, including a new full-time GM. He did say he's a fan of the structure they have in Montreal where Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton and GM Kent Hughes are running things together.
"It's a process. I want to give (interim GM Steve Staios) all the support he needs...Just like a new coach or whatever, you can't be hasty in your decision-making. You've got to do it right because the decision we make has to be in the best interest of the Ottawa Senators long term, not just tomorrow."
It's more than fair to say that very few coaches in NHL history have ever been granted the level of time and patience that Smith has been afforded in Ottawa.
To put it in perspective, Dean Evason's time in Minnesota ran right alongside Smith's time in Ottawa. Let's compare their records:
- Smith is in his fifth season in Ottawa with a .468 points percentage, never making the playoffs.
- Evason was in his fifth season in Minnesota with a .639 points percentage, making the playoffs all four years.
After a bad start this season, Evason was fired on November 28th.
Given that we're only a few more weeks of hot and cold .500 hockey away from the Senators season being completely unsalvageable, we'll find out very soon if Andlauer's patience was warranted.