Tomorrow night in Buffalo, the Ottawa Senators will play game number 82.
It marks the end of an exciting although ultimately, disappointing season. While the team achieved their goal of playing meaningful games down the stretch, you could tell that this was a group that expected more. At least inside that locker room.
When the Senators beat the Blue Jackets on home ice in early March, and the chants of “We want playoffs!” echoed through the Canadian Tire Centre, it really did feel like they had the potential to sneak into the post-season. Things unraveled quickly on that trip out west and the injuries started piling up but for a fleeting moment anyway, they were right there.
But instead of gearing up for a post-season run, the Senators will instead prepare to go their separate ways later this week. But they’ll do so knowing that they took a huge step forward in the rebuilding process and that they’ll be expected to take an even bigger leap next season.
There are going to be some tough decisions this summer. A handful of UFAs will see their current deals expire and at the same time, some big name RFAs will be looking for new contracts. It’s another pivotal off-season for this franchise.
And yet, there are some bigger questions that need answering over the next few months. With the sale of the team front and centre and the expectation that new Ownership will be in place well before puck drops in the fall, the Ottawa Senators are going to be a unique spot where just about every aspect of the organization will be under review. Outside of Spartacat and maybe DJ Prosper, nobody is safe.
And that includes both the General Manager and the Head Coach.
Those won’t be easy decisions to make. While pro sports are ultimately results-driven and there is always a good case to be made for change, both Pierre Dorion and DJ Smith have been instrumental in the success of the rebuild to this point. And in many ways, they’ve grown with the rest of the group. Balancing those contributions with an honest analysis of what this team needs to take the next step is going to be no easy task. Especially when you look back on how we got to this point.
In those early days of the rebuild, Pierre had a vision.
He did the messy work required to implement a mandate from Ownership and tore it down to a degree few GMs ever have. It wasn’t an easy job by any stretch and it required all sorts of difficult decisions and seemingly endless criticism along the way. But he did it with a longer term vision in mind. And really, there is zero doubt that the organization is in a better spot now than when they hit the reset button.
Dorion has gradually but deliberately added the pieces to build this thing back up. Through drafting, trades and smart signings, Dorion assembled a roster that looks like it will be competitive for years to come. He wasn’t perfect by any stretch and no General Manager is but he brought in every key piece of this team’s core and now has them on the cusp of something special.
Same thing with DJ Smith.
A lot of the criticisms of his record are justified, particular in a position that is judged by wins and losses. But when we look back on his DJ’s time in Ottawa, we won’t think about the mythical structure debate or about ice time distribution in the bottom six- his biggest contribution will be the work he did with the team’s young core. Teaching them to play the right way and at the same time, allowing those players to play to their strengths.
Beyond that on-ice development that has been on display over the last few years, it’s impossible not to notice the emphasis he has put on teaching these young guys how to be good pros, good teammates and just good people.
You can see it in the way those players talk about each other and about this team and this city- there is an undeniable chemistry in that locker room and DJ Smith has played a central role in establishing that culture and identity that will define this team for years to come.
Ultimately, Ownership will make those tough calls this summer and do what they think is necessary to get this team to the next level. Often, that means a change in voice in the front office and behind the bench.
Those certainly won’t be easy decisions to make.
The Ottawa Senators end their season tomorrow night in Buffalo.
