D.J. Smith’s record during his four and a half years as head coach of the Ottawa Senators wasn’t exactly Jack Adams material. When he was fired by the club 17 months ago, he had started the 2023-24 season with a points percentage of .423, worse than any of the four mediocre seasons that preceded it. No one can accuse Smith of not having enough time to turn the ship around. But roster-wise, he wasn’t exactly handed the keys to a Cadillac either, particularly in the early days. Still, given that the Senators returned to the playoffs the year after his dismissal, a change and a new voice were probably needed. In the “never burn bridges” world of the NHL, no one ever says a bad thing about the outgoing head coach. But in this case, the dialogue from the Senators' players seemed sincere in its disappointment. “It’s tough,” Tkachuk said on the day of Smith’s firing. “We’ve been through a lot together, from day one to where we’re at now. I wouldn’t be the same person or player that I am now. Really appreciative for everything that he’s done for me. Yeah, it’s tough to see a good person and an unbelievable coach leave.” Bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa [http://thn.com/ottawa] and never miss the latest Senators news, interviews, columns, features and more. GM Steve Staios is asked about possible front office changes for next season (Senators on YouTube) Smith found work almost immediately as an assistant under LA Kings head coach Jim Hiller, leaning on a former NHL connection. The two men had worked together for four years on Mike Babcock’s staff with the Toronto Maple Leafs. This season, with Smith looking after the defensemen, the Kings put together the kind of airtight defence that Sens fans could only dream of when Smith was running things in Ottawa. And despite a tough first-round loss to Edmonton (again), it may have resurrected Smith’s reputation as a viable head coaching option. Make no mistake, it’s a common tactic for NHL agents to lob a well-placed rumour into the media to make their client seem like a hot commodity. But Smith has always been well-respected as a person. His positivity and git 'er dun personality were always appreciated in Ottawa. Sure, he also took heat for being almost too player-friendly and not making his guys accountable for repeated mistakes, but that seems like a relatively easy coaching habit to break. Now that he's proven he can help run a tight defensive ship, that's an asset a lot of NHL teams are crying out for, so there might just be something to this report. There are currently six teams with a coaching vacancy or interim situation heading into the offseason: * Boston Bruins * Chicago Blackhawks * Pittsburgh Penguins * Philadelphia Flyers * Seattle Kraken * Vancouver Canucks Smith would probably prefer not to walk into another rebuilding situation like Ottawa, where the coach, at least to some degree, takes the fall for the performance of a subpar roster. He probably wishes he’d gotten the Ottawa job three years later than he did. Will The Ottawa Senators Sign Shane Pinto To An Extension This Summer? [https://us-central1-deweb-519a7.cloudfunctions.net/mediaService-api/videos/894650e4-ec0f-4cc7-a6dd-fa50a6a7d816/thumbnail] Will The Ottawa Senators Sign Shane Pinto To An Extension This Summer? Shane Pinto is eligible for a contract extension this summer. As with every deal, the Ottawa Senators would like to be sure they're getting what they pay for. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/will-the-ottawa-senators-sign-shane-pinto-to-an-extension-this-summer] Of the intriguing situations out there, the Penguins seem like a real possibility. Just like the Kings, Smith has a great connection there, probably better than with any of the other five teams. Pittsburgh’s GM is 39-year-old Kyle Dubas, the former Leafs GM who was in Toronto for all four years of Smith’s time there. Dubas is also a man who tends to lean on past connections. His first major hire as GM of the Toronto Marlies was his former OHL coach, Sheldon Keefe, in 2015. They had worked together with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. When Dubas ascended to the role of Leafs GM, he eventually fired Mike Babcock in November 2019 and promoted Keefe to the NHL. Smith had just left the Leafs for his new job in Ottawa. Dubas also fast-tracked former Senator Jason Spezza in Toronto and then brought him to Pittsburgh to be his right hand man with the Penguins. No matter where Smith ends up, and regardless of how you feel about his time in Ottawa, there will always be interest in a coach from a staff that helped allow the second-fewest goals in the entire NHL this year. Steve Warne, Site Editor The Hockey News - Ottawa Bookmark The Hockey News Ottawa [http://thn.com/ottawa] and never miss the latest Senators news, interviews, columns, features and more.
