Ottawa Senators have outgrown D.J. Smith

Brady Tkachuk and Ottawa's young core are currently playing below the sum of their talent and while head coach D.J. Smith has been instrumental in their development, the Senators might need to make a change on the bench if the team is to make the playoffs this season.

Video Transcript

JULIAN MCKENZIE: But we should talk about another team in Ontario that is not doing well. They are going through a tough, tough time, the Ottawa Senators. You have an idea about what's going on over there. Shane Pinto suspended for a gambling infraction.

It turns out they were in the wrong on the Evgenii Dadonov trade. So they lose a first round pick and Pierre Dorion loses his job. Fans are booing DJ Smith and they want him fired. And Brady Tkachuk's is not having any of it because you can't turn your back on the team. There's a lot going wrong with the Ottawa Senators, man.

How do y'all feel about this team going through what it's going through? Can they get out of it? Arun, since you're since you're the guest here, we don't get to hear your opinions all the time. I'll let you start and then we'll let everyone else get a touch on this one.

ARUN SRINIVASAN: I mean, I do think they can get out of it. But I do think the Senators fans are well within their right to call for a DJ Smith firing. I mean, this is no longer the team he sort of inherited, right? Their core has grown together where they're entering their prime. They've added sort of the veteran pieces around them with Tarasenko and Giroud the year before, where there's enough to say that this is no longer the young team, right?

I mean, I know people used to make sort of comparisons with the Leafs. And this is sort of like the third year or fourth year of their core guys coming into their own, right? So they're no longer being considered babies. I mean, DJ Smith hasn't won at this level. And I think DJ Smith has rightfully earned a reputation of being good at developing young players. But I think this team has outgrown him, simply. I mean, they're past the stage where they're young guys in the league, where they need a guy with the Memorial Cup pedigree that DJ Smith had.

But yeah, I mean, as for Brady Tkachuk, I mean, I don't think it's all too controversial that you have a captain sticking up for his coach. Like, I feel like what else is he going to say? And frankly, it makes for good copy. But yeah, like the Senators, they can get out of it. Like they're just playing below the sum of their talent. And fans have a right to be pissed.

Like they have been told for the better part of three years that the team is ready to compete for playoff spot. For two years they're probably being lied to. This year it seemed like they had the talent level. They had the internal growth. New ownership seems to be willing to spend on the team, which is new in Ottawa. So I understand why Sens fans are pissed. I mean, I think they get out it. But if DJ Smith doesn't have a better week, he may be the first coach on the chopping block this year.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yeah that's how I see it for DJ, man. He needs to-- those Sens need wins bad. And I think for Brady Tkachuk, while I can understand that it's frustrating to hear your fans boo you, what else are they going to do after having such a terrible week, a week and a few days? As far as I'm concerned, it's much better than the alternative, where fans don't show up and they're completely apathetic about this team. I think if you're an Ottawa Senators fan, especially today, nothing to smile about in my life with this team.

OMAR: It's interesting. It's interesting and everyone like, the Leafs tie-in seems like seamless and obvious. But like, it actually seeing this-- what happened, especially like with the team being booed, they're saying fire DJ Smith, I just got a random flashback memory to the 2014-15 Leafs, before they decided to give up on the season. And after their 9-2 loss to Nashville, which I was there at that, unfortunately. You know, they had a comeback win against Tampa the next game. And I think it was like 5-1.

And then though, the team usually did the whole, does like a whole like stick celebrate say, like, yes, yeah, we won. But they didn't do it. And--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Oh yeah, I remember that.

OMAR: And that was a huge-- that was a big deal. And when I was hearing Brady Tkachuk's-- Brady Tkachuk, the response, I was like, huh, I wonder if they're kind of like in that era. Because like, from the sense of like, the fans thought that they would be better. Heck, before the season we're all talking about how the Ottawa Senators and the Buffalo Sabers were two teams who could probably end up being in that wild card competition.

And now we have a point where things aren't working out well. There's a whole bunch of offseason drama, the DJ Smith situation, which is going on. I have a source that actually says that it might actually be pretty bad, and--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Time out, time out, stop. Stop.

OMAR: Yeah. Yeah.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Did you just say you have a source?

OMAR: I do.

ARUN SRINIVASAN: Insider Omar.

OMAR: I do.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Whoa!

OMAR: I do.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Insider Omar? What?

OMAR: And a name, I guess to look out for there is Claude Julien, who apparently has been with around the team a lot.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Woo! Where are you dropping this source? What is this? Wait. We were not prepared for this. We were not prepared.

OMAR: I know. You know, anyway.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: What?

OMAR: So again, so think it all kind of encompasses the fact that like if things don't go-- don't turn around for Ottawa, like yeah, DJ Smith could be the first-- could be the first coach fired.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Wow, Avry, what-- can you please say what nickname you just provided for Omar that you just wrote in the chat?

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: What new nickname, Aki Dreger

[LAUGHING]

ARUN SRINIVASAN: Oh, man.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yeah, that's it, right? Yeah, he definitely up all that Aki [INAUDIBLE]. I'll say this. First off, Claude Julien, wow, flashback, right? Considering the fact that he's coached where he's coached and has achieved the success that he's coached, wherever he's coached. But also that coaching recycle meme, you could put that up wherever. That's if it gets to that point. But, the Ottawa Senators I think, if it does not turn around anytime soon, we're going to be in for-- yes, some changes are going to be necessary.