Kevin Francis: Is DJ Smith on thin ice if the losing continues this week?!

Dorion just said in a presser today that he's a 'loyal guy' and that DJ is 'their coach' and he 'likes the way the team plays for him'. Dorion also said flat out the Formenton situation had nothing to do with the WJC issue when it clearly does. Essentially the guy is fairly adept at obfuscating intent. It would be hard to believe Dorion isn't doing due diligence and scoping the coach market right now given the on ice product, but with new owners coming in it's hard to imagine either of them keeping their jobs in the long run.

Should have fire DJ Blashill during the summer but Dorion kept him to keep his job longer. If they lose to Vancouver and Smith isn't fired then both Dorion and Smith should both be fired...into the sun. Waiting longer likely could mean the Sens end up in a bigger hole like the last few years and they won't be able to claw back out. Changing during the season also means less good candidates available.

Not sure i would trust Dorion to pick the right coach at this point. How many coaches has Dorion hired and fired since he's been GM? The fact he has kept DJ for this long baffles me.

Wings aren't perfect but the coaching change so far has made a difference in how they play despite the fact they are missing Bertuzzi, Vrana, Fabbri, Zadina (no big loss really), Walman, Pysyk and Copp wasn't producing given he missed all camp and pre-season.

Dorion just said in a presser today that he's a 'loyal guy' and that DJ is 'their coach' and he 'likes the way the team plays for him'. Dorion also said flat out the Formenton situation had nothing to do with the WJC issue when it clearly does. Essentially the guy is fairly adept at obfuscating intent. It would be hard to believe Dorion isn't doing due diligence and scoping the coach market right now given the on ice product, but with new owners coming in it's hard to imagine either of them keeping their jobs in the long run.
- Bartacus

When a GM has to justify why DJ is his guy, you know it means the end soon! What GM says I am loyal.....frigue man, it is about results......not being loyal....wow! Amateur and clown hour!

Like you said, we all know PD is lying to the fans about Formenton! He talks to the fanbase like they were born yesterday.

Should have fire DJ Blashill during the summer but Dorion kept him to keep his job longer. If they lose to Vancouver and Smith isn't fired then both Dorion and Smith should both be fired...into the sun. Waiting longer likely could mean the Sens end up in a bigger hole like the last few years and they won't be able to claw back out. Changing during the season also means less good candidates available.

Not sure i would trust Dorion to pick the right coach at this point. How many coaches has Dorion hired and fired since he's been GM? The fact he has kept DJ for this long baffles me.

Wings aren't perfect but the coaching change so far has made a difference in how they play despite the fact they are missing Bertuzzi, Vrana, Fabbri, Zadina (no big loss really), Walman, Pysyk and Copp wasn't producing given he missed all camp and pre-season.
- dcz28

Exactly, but common sense doesn't prevail in Dorion's world. I wish you all knew how thin PD's skin can be when it comes to criticism. The stories....one of these days!

PD fired Dave Cameron when he took over as GM.....then fired Boucher....so DJ will essentially be his third firing at some point....meaning he has one life left as GM!

Like you said, he has failed the franchise by not upgrading the head coaching position when he could have so easily in the summer. There isn't a GM in pro sports that doesn't try to upgrade every position in the org except with PD! Pathetic!

so when OTT ends up in the bottom 10 again because dorion (frank)ed up with the caching and OTT wins Bedard, do they trade Norris or move him to the wing and trade Cat?

and winning against a team that is "worst" than you is not an accomplishment... even if OTT wins against Van DJ needs to be fired

so when OTT ends up in the bottom 10 again because dorion (frank)ed up with the caching and OTT wins Bedard, do they trade Norris or move him to the wing and trade Cat?

and winning against a team that is "worst" than you is not an accomplishment... even if OTT wins against Van DJ needs to be fired
- Mithos

You keep DeBrincat as I think trading Norris is an eventuality. Stutzle and Pinto will surpass him and Grieg is a perfect 3rd line center....

I just don't want Dorionvto make that trade.

so when OTT ends up in the bottom 10 again because dorion (frank)ed up with the caching and OTT wins Bedard, do they trade Norris or move him to the wing and trade Cat?

and winning against a team that is "worst" than you is not an accomplishment... even if OTT wins against Van DJ needs to be fired
- Mithos

If the sens win Tuesday night, it's just prolonging the inevitable! Then they go to NJ and Philly......0-4 on the road so far......the fact they are already 7 points out of a playoff spot just 3 weeks into the season is pretty sad. This falls on the coach and all you have to do is listen to Giroux say how pissed he is about the losing!

You keep DeBrincat as I think trading Norris is an eventuality. Stutzle and Pinto will surpass him and Grieg is a perfect 3rd line center....

I just don't want Dorionvto make that trade.
- Nimm

I stated when Norris was signed that after one solid season, should have meant a bridge deal......not an 8 year deal......but Dorion was more worried about showing the league that many players were willing to commit long term rather than doing what was right long term for the franchise. I agree with you.

so when OTT ends up in the bottom 10 again because dorion (frank)ed up with the caching and OTT wins Bedard, do they trade Norris or move him to the wing and trade Cat?

and winning against a team that is "worst" than you is not an accomplishment... even if OTT wins against Van DJ needs to be fired
- Mithos

I actually thought all along that there was no way Ottawa would end up in the bottom 10 picking in the draft......but it's hard to think they don't come June!

Did anyone see Ryan Reynolds last night on Jimmy Fallon? He flat out said he's trying to be part of a group to buy the Ottawa Senators! You can find the 1 min. video clip on my Twitter feed.

Would the Board allow Dorion to fire DJ?

I have always assumed that new ownership will want to put in their own management team and the first choice that a new GM will always have is the option of adding his own coach.

I'm not likely approving any changes unless there is a clear signal from incoming ownership on the choices being made. I think the lead guy on the new ownership group starts calling the shots by 1 January.

However, should Dorion somehow get the okay to release Smith. Not likely, he would get the approval to also hire a new coach on a permanent business. And, any guy who did take on the job would probably carry the "interim" label.

Would the Board allow Dorion to fire DJ?

I have always assumed that new ownership will want to put in their own management team and the first choice that a new GM will always have is the option of adding his own coach.

I'm not likely approving any changes unless there is a clear signal from incoming ownership on the choices being made. I think the lead guy on the new ownership group starts calling the shots by 1 January.

However, should Dorion somehow get the okay to release Smith. Not likely, he would get the approval to also hire a new coach on a permanent business. And, any guy who did take on the job would probably carry the "interim" label.
- spatso

a winning team has more value than a losing one, also Dorion is shooting himself in the foot by not firing DJ as he will be more likely to be fired by new ownership because they will point out" you been GM for 5+ years and you not built a winning team"

I actually thought all along that there was no way Ottawa would end up in the bottom 10 picking in the draft......but it's hard to think they don't come June!
- Kevin Francis

like i said put 12 McDavids with 6 Makar and 2 Vasilievsky and DJ would still make that team a bottom 10 one.

Would the Board allow Dorion to fire DJ?

I have always assumed that new ownership will want to put in their own management team and the first choice that a new GM will always have is the option of adding his own coach.

I'm not likely approving any changes unless there is a clear signal from incoming ownership on the choices being made. I think the lead guy on the new ownership group starts calling the shots by 1 January.

However, should Dorion somehow get the okay to release Smith. Not likely, he would get the approval to also hire a new coach on a permanent business. And, any guy who did take on the job would probably carry the "interim" label.
- spatso

If you honestly think this team is being sold by Jan. 1st, then you are big time sadly mistaken. Do you understand the process of purchasing a pro sports team? This sale wont take place until the spring at the earliest and that is if 24 of 32 board governors even vote on it by then!

There is so much going on behind the scenes with PD and DJ. He had zero reason to go out to Winnipeg, that is what Bowness for, with pro scouting!!!

If you actually think that PD wont fire DJ if they were to lose a few more in a row or go 5-5 in their next 10 games, then you don't know how PD operates. His job will then be on the line.

a winning team has more value than a losing one, also Dorion is shooting himself in the foot by not firing DJ as he will be more likely to be fired by new ownership because they will point out" you been GM for 5+ years and you not built a winning team"
- Mithos

There is nothing stopping PD from firing DJ, let me repeat that, nothing! There is no way PD isn't allowed to make sure the team is set up to win, if it isn't happening with DJ he will pull the plug on him. Just look at recent teams that sold in pro sports, they operated like normal when it came to player or coaching personnel decisions. Can you imagine PD allowing himself to be set up for failure because he wasn't allowed to fire DJ? lol comical....it would never happen!

like i said put 12 McDavids with 6 Makar and 2 Vasilievsky and DJ would still make that team a bottom 10 one.
- Mithos

PD wont say it, but why do you think he forced the JBD call up again....he was pissed that when he called up Heatherington that he wasn't dressed as PD knew they needed some size and physicality on the back end against FL and TB. Dont you find it coincidental that PD called a quick presser after calling up JBD again?! PD was furious that JBD didn't dress on Sat. night. End of story!

While I agree the sale of a sports franchise can and usually is a long process. That whole Atlanta to Winnipeg thing went down pretty quick. Just sayin.


The sad part of JBD is it will be one mistake. One bad read, one NHL level super star walking around him and he'll be stapled to the bench. My prediction is a 3-2 over time loss. Chabot plays 41 minutes and gets hurt.

Coach is fired Wednesday morning. Some combination of Claude Julien/Jacques Martin is hired on an interim basis. The team gets boring, but hard to play against they win some and lose some and miss the play offs barely.

While I agree the sale of a sports franchise can and usually is a long process. That whole Atlanta to Winnipeg thing went down pretty quick. Just sayin.


The sad part of JBD is it will be one mistake. One bad read, one NHL level super star walking around him and he'll be stapled to the bench. My prediction is a 3-2 over time loss. Chabot plays 41 minutes and gets hurt.

Coach is fired Wednesday morning. Some combination of Claude Julien/Jacques Martin is hired on an interim basis. The team gets boring, but hard to play against they win some and lose some and miss the play offs barely.
- Octavarium

The Atlanta move almost happened for 3 consecutive years, so it was set up on 3 different occasions....so believe it or not, the board of governors knew for 3 years that it could happen and they had a contingency in place to end each season for the 3 previous years to the team moving, so it truly didn't just happen over night. Many many people in the know thought it was going to happen a few years before it actually did.

As for JBD, you are right, he has benched Branny a few times this year, just check out those 2 games when he played 10 and 12 min earlier in the season. He benched him for one mistake....yet DJ lets Zaitsev stay out there after pinning his team in their own end for his endless mistakes!

Dont be surprised if Mann was elevated to Asst. coach as he wont be with the org come the summer if he isn't elevated by then! Just like his brother, Trent gave the team an ultimatum as I wrote about back in the summer.

Great piece Kevin. DJ should have been replaced this summer so the longer the dog and pony show goes on here with Dorion, then Dorion can expect his job to be on the line for allowing this coaching mess to fester into this season.

Looking at the Sens next 6 games before the Cali road trip, if they don't get 8 out of 12 points, then they will be even further out of it before trying to win on the road on the west coast, something they rarely do out there.

Vancouver, @NJ, @Philly, NYI, Buffalo and NJ. So 4 of the next 6 games at home. They need to win badly or forget contending for a playoff spot after the 20 game mark with a below .500 record in the East as it's far deeper and better than the West this year.

I’ve long said DJ is a place holder coach on this rebuilding team. There will never be a perfect time for a coaching change but during a losing streak at the start of a season where you were expected to be in the playoff battle seems as good a time as any.

With ownership changes, I don’t think Dorion would be handcuffed for coaches and likely can offer out a bit more money for a more established coach. Enough of trying to find a diamond in the rough.

I’ve long said DJ is a place holder coach on this rebuilding team. There will never be a perfect time for a coaching change but during a losing streak at the start of a season where you were expected to be in the playoff battle seems as good a time as any.

With ownership changes, I don’t think Dorion would be handcuffed for coaches and likely can offer out a bit more money for a more established coach. Enough of trying to find a diamond in the rough.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

30th out of 32 teams, some things never change. If Dorion doesn't relieve DJ soon they will be picking in the top 5 of the draft which is flat out absurd. DJ is exactly what we have watched for over three seasons now, he never changes his ways and he should go down for it. If Dorion doesn't fire him soon, then Dorion should go down with him too.

There is no way anyone is stopping Dorion from firing him, they let him spend and do his job all summer, so why would they stop him from doing that now when a coach wont cost as much as some of the players he acquired this summer.

a winning team has more value than a losing one, also Dorion is shooting himself in the foot by not firing DJ as he will be more likely to be fired by new ownership because they will point out" you been GM for 5+ years and you not built a winning team"
- Mithos

I can't recall who said it on here but Dorion fired Dave Cameron when he took over, then hired Guy Boucher who he eventually fired, now DJ would be the third firing. So in other words, if and when he does fire DJ, he has had what a typical GM gets when it comes to how many coaches you get as a GM before your job is on the line.

like i said put 12 McDavids with 6 Makar and 2 Vasilievsky and DJ would still make that team a bottom 10 one.
- Mithos

Kevin said it in his piece today, being at the Flyers game on Saturday night, my buddies and I counted the amount of times that DJ got stuck with his 4th line out against the Flyers 1st line. 6 times no joke. There were times when you could hear Giroux yelling to change the match up, then you hear Giroux say after the game that he's pissed off, his exact words and you got to believe that he isn't a fan of DJ now, now that sees has lost he is behind the bench.

Kevin said it in his piece today, being at the Flyers game on Saturday night, my buddies and I counted the amount of times that DJ got stuck with his 4th line out against the Flyers 1st line. 6 times no joke. There were times when you could hear Giroux yelling to change the match up, then you hear Giroux say after the game that he's pissed off, his exact words and you got to believe that he isn't a fan of DJ now, now that sees has lost he is behind the bench.
- LawyerSens4Life

I was watching a different game, I cant remember which, and they were commenting on the exact same issue, but implying that DJ likes and "trusts" his 4th line so much that it was perhaps deliberate.