Martin's hiring doesn't necessarily mean he's a head coach-in-waiting, but it does send a loud, clear message.
When Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer got the keys to the kingdom on September 21st, the fan base immediately began wondering about the fates of the current hockey ops and coaching staff.
With GM Pierre Dorion having exited the team on November 1st, the focus has been on what this means for head coach DJ Smith and his staff.
Many names have circulated in rumour mills including an alleged Patrick Roy sighting at a restaurant in Kanata (a rumour that was debunked) that caused more than a stir.
Andlauer recently hinted there are no imminent plans to make a change at head coach despite the fans serenading Smith on more than one occasion with “Fire DJ! A day after Andlauer's stay of execution, President of Hockey Operations, Steve Staios, announced that Martin had been hired as Senior Advisor to the Coaching Staff.
Martin was with the Senators in the pre-lockout era when there was a premium on defensive hockey and attention to detail. The lack of structure and play away from the puck is something that Smith and his staff have been widely criticized for.
So the real question becomes:
“What does this hire mean for Smith and his staff?”
Senators fans will recall how former owner, Eugene Melnyk, enlisted the help of Pierre McGuire to support Dorion under the role of Senior VP of Player Development.
Oddly enough, McGuire frequently watched games in the box with Dorion. Who can forget those awkward fist pumps when the Senators emerged victorious? Of course, after Melnyk's passing, it didn't take long for McGuire to be removed by Dorion, an employee he had not hired.
In similar fashion, Martin was hired by Staios, not Smith.
All the correct things are now being said. Staios insists Martin isn’t a threat to anyone’s job, while Smith says Martin is especially valuable because of his attention to details. Dorion said the same things about McGuire. So it's hard to view those comments as genuine.
Is Martin, 71, in line to take Smith’s job or that of any of his assistants? Highly unlikely. From that viewpoint, Staios’ comments are true. Martin is likely at the point in his career where the comfort and job security that comes with the word “Advisor” is very appealing.
That said, make no mistake, Smith and his staff are being evaluated. Smith has a club option for next season and there is no permanent GM in place to decide his fate.
The word “Advisor” can also mean multiple things.
Martin may be there to be an advisor to Smith and his staff. But he also reports to Staios. That makes Martin his advisor as well.
If you were DJ Smith, how could you not view this as anything other than the President of Hockey Ops telling you he doesn’t think you and your staff are getting it done?
If Smith were the one who had enlisted Martin’s help, or at least been the one to introduce him at the press conference, this wouldn’t feel nearly as awkward as it does.
Martin has genuinely been hired to help. But aside from Smith and his staff delivering a playoff berth this season, Martin is going to play a major role in the decision on whether to exercise the club option on Smith for next season or not.