Speculation: D.J. Smith

[aragorn]

We didn’t look this embarrassing last year against the good teams...

Yea, even Buffalo looked better than us the other night & they only have 16 pts. Could be one of the worse games I have ever seen a Sens team play, certainly some of the worse goaltending we have ever seen this yr.

 

[SENATOR]

Coach and GM are embarrassing this organisation with continuous blowouts like this. I understand that a weak coach is serving Melnyk well for a high round pick again. But not like this. And DJ Smith should not run his mouth like this about "regular division" It is pathetic!!! Regular division Denis!!

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

agree. I like DJ and think he’ll coach for a long time. There’s been to much blaming of the players here by many - like this summer when management said it’s on the players to improve the team and move the team ahead - but the pro trades are the guys that are performing the least. So it is the ingredients and not the chef

For sure, it just doesn't reflect well on management to have communicated higher expectations publicly when everyone sees the roster they've rolled out.

I think a GM that communicates more effectively would have been out there tempering expectations and telling everyone to continue to be patient and it's still a long road. Dorion is more of a ra ra guy, but that's a large part of why so many sound bites look bad shortly thereafter.

If Dorion attempted to fire DJ at this point (which I don't think is being considered) it would just reflect so poorly on him imo, same as those comments from the summer.

 

[Tuna99]

For sure, it just doesn't reflect well on management to have communicated higher expectations publicly when everyone sees the roster they've rolled out.

I think a GM that communicates more effectively would have been out there tempering expectations and telling everyone to continue to be patient and it's still a long road. Dorion is more of a ra ra guy, but that's a large part of why so many sound bites look bad shortly thereafter.

If Dorion attempted to fire DJ at this point (which I don't think is being considered) it would just reflect so poorly on him imo, same as those comments from the summer.

I think management and ownership are so out of touch with the fanbase that they think unless they ice a winning team they won’t sell tickets - and they think they are smart enough to trick us into thinking what we will be seeing is a playoff team or at least very close to it so we better get on the bandwagon and buy tickets . They don’t trust or understand the fans enough to just say what you said above “long road ahead but there’s hope.”

 

[aragorn]

I think management and ownership are so out of touch with the fanbase that they think unless they ice a winning team they won’t sell tickets - and they think they are smart enough to trick us into thinking what we will be seeing is a playoff team or at least very close to it so we better get on the bandwagon and buy tickets . They don’t trust or understand the fans enough to just say what you said above “long road ahead but there’s hope.”

What are the percentage of fans that could name more than 3 players? With the exception of people on here which could be less than 5% of fans, most fans don't know any better & will believe what they are told by the org & media. Even the media keeps building them up to hold on to their viewers of these games. It's not that the org is out of touch with the fan base it's that they have to constantly lie about the team being better than they are to keep interest in the team high & they try everything to do that like build up their 1st rd picks.

Look how they sold us Curtis Lazar & a WJC Gold Medal & Team Captain. It's a business & they are always trying to put their best foot forward to keep interest high & soon hope to sell as many tickets as possible. However, the only real way of doing that is with a successful product on the ice.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I think management and ownership are so out of touch with the fanbase that they think unless they ice a winning team they won’t sell tickets - and they think they are smart enough to trick us into thinking what we will be seeing is a playoff team or at least very close to it so we better get on the bandwagon and buy tickets . They don’t trust or understand the fans enough to just say what you said above “long road ahead but there’s hope.”

I agree. I think some of the communication from Lebanc confirmed that line of thinking. I believe it was along the lines of they didn't think any of the sourness would matter or linger and that it only had to do with if they had a winning product or not. That said, pretty tough position for him to insinuate there's been any validity to the MelnykOut voices.

I've said for a long time that communication was the problem above all else and I stand by that. You can sell a rebuild, you can sell making hard decisions and losing players, but you have to have the skills to do so, and they clearly do not and were letting their ego/emotions get in the way. Melnyk is the ego/emotions and Dorion is the public speaker bungling what he's told to communicate. It's like they forgot that players are why fans show up and players are the ones they fall in love with, even though you have to move on from them sometimes, you have to do it gracefully and communicate to your base the why's and whatnot.

 

[Tuna99]

What are the percentage of fans that could name more than 3 players? With the exception of people on here which could be less than 5% of fans, most fans don't know any better & will believe what they are told by the org & media. Even the media keeps building them up to hold on to their viewers of these games. It's not that the org is out of touch with the fan base it's that they have to constantly lie about the team being better than they are to keep interest in the team high & they try everything to do that like build up their 1st rd picks.

Look how they sold us Curtis Lazar & a WJC Gold Medal & Team Captain. It's a business & they are always trying to put their best foot forward to keep interest high & soon hope to sell as many tickets as possible. However, the only real way of doing that is with a successful product on the ice.

I think honesty over trickery sells more tickets. I think the Sens have a huge trust gap from the hardcore fan to the casual bandwagon fan, and it’s because of things like promising improved teams (kinda minor but major over multiple failed seasons) to threatening to move the team (major major). As a fan it’s hard to get your bearings on where it’s all going sometimes and the rebuild is a chance for everyone to say “look, let’s just suck for a few years because we are probably going to suck anyways regardless, and hopefully in 3 years we have stock piled enough prospects that the team can then begin to grow”

 

[Tuna99]

What are the percentage of fans that could name more than 3 players? With the exception of people on here which could be less than 5% of fans, most fans don't know any better & will believe what they are told by the org & media. Even the media keeps building them up to hold on to their viewers of these games. It's not that the org is out of touch with the fan base it's that they have to constantly lie about the team being better than they are to keep interest in the team high & they try everything to do that like build up their 1st rd picks.

Look how they sold us Curtis Lazar & a WJC Gold Medal & Team Captain. It's a business & they are always trying to put their best foot forward to keep interest high & soon hope to sell as many tickets as possible. However, the only real way of doing that is with a successful product on the ice.

and I think DJ gets caught in the weight of the previous failures of the club. He’s fresh blood as much as the new kids are, but with so many failed coaches he carries the extra weight of “management probably screwed up this hire too” even though I think DJ is a very good coach and has earned my trust

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

and I think DJ gets caught in the weight of the previous failures of the club. He’s fresh blood as much as the new kids are, but with so many failed coaches he carries the extra weight of “management probably screwed up this hire too” even though I think DJ is a very good coach and has earned my trust

Knowing how much the coach budget impacts the candidate pool and excludes any high profile options has a negative association as well.

 

[Tuna99]

I agree. I think some of the communication from Lebanc confirmed that line of thinking. I believe it was along the lines of they didn't think any of the sourness would matter or linger and that it only had to do with if they had a winning product or not. That said, pretty tough position for him to insinuate there's been any validity to the MelnykOut voices.

I've said for a long time that communication was the problem above all else and I stand by that. You can sell a rebuild, you can sell making hard decisions and losing players, but you have to have the skills to do so, and they clearly do not and were letting their ego/emotions get in the way. Melnyk is the ego/emotions and Dorion is the public speaker bungling what he's told to communicate. It's like they forgot that players are why fans show up and players are the ones they fall in love with, even though you have to move on from them sometimes, you have to do it gracefully and communicate to your base the why's and whatnot.

for sure if they have a winning team they’ll have a full house (or close to it because the fans do have to show up and our record on that right now is suspect) but really the community work, the team bonds, the investments and solid Sens community members are what keeps the building full during the bad times and we are seeing that right now. Death by a million cuts with the Cyril Leeders and 2 month Presidents and the mayor and Lebreton, Alfies ‘new owner’ comments certainly didn’t help - club has so much work to do, and it’s hard work with limited staff.

 

[GCK]

The million dollar question is “If Barry Trotz coached this team would they make the playoffs”

what do you think?

No playoffs but they would be very boring to watch at least.

 

[Tuna99]

No playoffs but they would be very boring to watch at least.

That’s why I like DJ, Guy Boucher hockey made me hate myself for watching hockey, I like DJs style and brand of hockey.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

for sure if they have a winning team they’ll have a full house (or close to it because the fans do have to show up and our record on that right now is suspect) but really the community work, the team bonds, the investments and solid Sens community members are what keeps the building full during the bad times and we are seeing that right now. Death by a million cuts with the Cyril Leeders and 2 month Presidents and the mayor and Lebreton, Alfies ‘new owner’ comments certainly didn’t help - club has so much work to do, and it’s hard work with limited staff.

You nailed it, I just don't think Melnyk has it in him to do what needs to be done, or is willing to put his ego aside to change that.

 

[supsens]

You nailed it, I just don't think Melnyk has it in him to do what needs to be done, or is willing to put his ego aside to change that.

It does not matter what he does. He tried to get a shifty charity to actually do good and help people and he was treated like a villain it all a bunch of fake outrage so people feel justified attacking someone.

I wish he would just sell soon but as soon as the team struggles it will be back to the same thing

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

It does not matter what he does. He tried to get a shifty charity to actually do good and help people and he was treated like a villain it all a bunch of fake outrage so people feel justified attacking someone.

I wish he would just sell soon but as soon as the team struggles it will be back to the same thing

At this point? No it probably doesn't.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

I try not to criticize the coach too much since the personnel is garbage and at least he has the boys working hard and throwing the young guys out there but last 3 games were on him as there was absolutely zero structure and the guys were literally trying to play run and gun with the most difficult team in the league to play run and gun with.

I was baffled to see the likes of Paul and Tkachuk even playing that way. North south hockey.

 

[BatherSeason]

This is a good way to get the fans back on your side:



#Sickos

 

[DrakeAndJosh]

I have a lot of respect for DJ throwing white out as the extra skater after one of the worst giveaways I’ve ever seen. He was, in my view, unfairly hard on white to start the year, so it’s nice to see.

 

[foggyvisor]

This is a good way to get the fans back on your side:



#Sickos

The moment #sickos ended

 

[aragorn]

I have a lot of respect for DJ throwing white out as the extra skater after one of the worst giveaways I’ve ever seen. He was, in my view, unfairly hard on white to start the year, so it’s nice to see.

Chabot did the exact same thing earlier in the game, the only difference is that the guy missed the net.

 

[Sensfanatic]

This coach makes a lot of questionable in-game personnel decisions. Not a good sign. I don’t think he’s NHL head coach material on many levels.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

This is a good way to get the fans back on your side:



#Sickos

This kills the meme