BUILDING UP THE REBUILD
Senators coach excited
Guy Boucher is all in.
As training camp shifts into high gear with the opening of pre-season Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs in nearby Lucan, Ont., the Ottawa Senators coach is excited by what he’s seen from the group of 56 players in camp, and he’s ready to see which players will take the next step.
Yes, there are lots of questions about the club’s rebuild after the Senators dealt captain Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks last week, but Boucher likes the prospects and he’s prepared for the challenge with a lineup that will feature no shortage of new faces this season.
All eyes through the preseason will be on the likes of top selection Brady Tkachuk along with prospects Alex Formenton, Drake Batherson, Colin White, Filip Chlapik, Christian Wolanin and Christian Jaros to see if they’re ready to make the next step to the NHL.
Though the fan base is concerned about this rebuild, Boucher told the Citizen in a one-on-one interview he’s excited.
“I’ve lived it before at different levels,” Boucher said on the weekend. “As long as you know that’s what you’re doing, and you’re not lying to yourself or the public or everybody, that what you’re doing is growing.
“I remember in junior, after my first year in Drummondville, we felt we were going to have an average team and we decided, ‘Let’s go for it.’ We went with 15 rookies, we traded away some guys, we knew it would hurt and it was difficult, but because we said that we were going to groom our young guys, the barn was full all year. We never won but it was a great year.
“Everybody was on the same page and everybody knew we were going, and guess what happened? The year after that we won the championship and we broke 31 records — offensive records of all kinds.”
This is going to be a lot different than junior for Boucher because this is a rebuild that needs to be sold publicly. The fan base isn’t pleased that Karlsson was dealt for a package of prospects and the decision has been made to take a step back to try to take a step forward.
However, Boucher is hopeful that the group assembled jells together quickly to get the job done. He appreciates the attitude of the young players and is hopeful they’ll make the next step to be ready for opening night Oct. 4 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
“As much as we’ve heard we’re going to have a lot of new players and young kids, some are clear because they’re trades and the guys are here, but you’re not going to have a young guy just because you want to have a young guy in the lineup. The kid has got to be ready,” Boucher said.
“It doesn’t mean he’s going to be a perfect NHLer. You’re not looking for that, you’re looking to see the increments in his learning, growth and confidence. When you see that you can make a projection that in ‘X’ amount of time it will be good for him and good for the team. That’s why you need some time.
“They’re just kids — but some of these kids they just have it right away and they’re pros in their minds already. They get here first, leave last, in the gym and you never have to tell them when things are at. Those things don’t lie.”
Boucher defended his track record and indicated he will make adjustments throughout the season. He doesn’t like the perception out there that he’s stubborn and refuses to change the way things are done if necessary.
“The approach always changes,” Boucher said. “There’s such a misconception out there that this coach is that style and this player is that style. It makes me laugh because it’s the biggest irony of my life because a few years ago I was never a defensive coach or I don’t play the young guys.
“It’s the opposite. That’s how I made my career, developing young guys, and that’s why the Montreal Canadiens hired me (to coach the AHL farm team in Hamilton). People get onto something and they get onto a life of their own. Where does all this come from? It’s funny. I don’t think any coach in the NHL right now has a style, and we all know that among ourselves, but it’s just things that were created out there. People need to peg things and understand things a certain way.”
Boucher said the Senators will play with pace this year. That wasn’t the approach his first two years behind the bench because of the personnel.
“The last two years we played with what we had,” he said. “We had some older players and some slower players and we needed to save energy and quite a few guys that needed to work on their reliability. Ninety per cent of my systems the last two years I’d never used before.
“You can’t explain that publicly in a scrum because next year I’ll be pegged with something else for some reason. I’m going to change next year, not because I’m told I’m this, it’s because that’s the needs of a coach. I’ve been coaching for 21 years and I’ve changed all of it all the time.”
The picture is about to undergo a big change and Boucher is confident this is the right direction. bgarrioch@postmedia.com Twitter: @sungarrioch