EAGER-TO-PLAY YOUNG SENS HAVE TO `EARN IT'
Brannstrom making most of chance, Brown might be next up
D.J. Smith is quite willing to give young players a chance to show off their skills.
All they have to do is earn the opportunity.
The Ottawa Senators coach has heard all the noise surrounding his roster decisions, and on Sunday he made it clear that every young talent in the lineup each night is playing because they deserve it.
While Senators general manager Pierre Dorion made a couple of moves before they skated at the Canadian Tire Centre — sending forwards Matthew Peca and Filip Chlapik to Belleville and recalling Logan Brown to the taxi squad — the 22-year-old centre won't suit up against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night.
And Smith knows there's a portion of the fan base and the media second guessing the Senators and saying he should put Brown on the ice to start a two-game series at home against the Oilers.
Smith wants young players to earn their playing time.
“It's imperative. Some of that stuff out there is, `Just put the young kids in and let them play,'” Smith said in a response to a question from the Citizen. “I use the analogy of when I was 16 years old, my dad didn't just give me a car, (I) had to earn it.
“And when you beat an older player out or a player that's been in the league, you know that you belong and there's a sense of pride that tells you you're in the league, you know you're there and there to stay.”
Of course, with 10 losses in their past 11 games, Dorion and Smith haven't been afraid to make changes.
Brown will continue to skate with the Senators as they open this series, which concludes Tuesday, and then head out on a lengthy, five-game road trip that gets underway Thursday night against the Winnipeg Jets.
After being sent down because he didn't perform up to expectations in camp, now it looks like Brown is inching toward playing for the Senators this season. He'll have to work hard in practice to show he belongs, and when Brown does play, it's imperative that he contributes offensively.
“We'll put (Brown) in when the time is right and when it's best suited for him,” Smith said.
Trust Smith to make the right decision.
Blueliner Erik Brannstrom, 21, was recalled from AHL Belleville on Thursday and suited up for Ottawa's 3-2 win over the Canadiens on Friday at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Centre Colin White was a healthy scratch early in the season, but will play his eighth straight game Monday against the Oilers after being inserted back into the lineup on Jan. 27.
While Artem Zub is 25 years old, he made his NHL debut Jan. 31 in Edmonton and has played a regular shift since.
“All the guys have come in and beaten guys out and they know they belong,” Smith said. “It's that personal confidence for me that is going to allow them to be good players. I don't know how many times I've seen young players just get handed a spot, and then two years later they're traded because they get into the league and they lose their confidence.
“Sometimes it's hard for people to understand but my job is to put the guy in the absolute best scenario to have success. We've done that with our young guys. Every guy that has come in has been a good spot to succeed, and we want to do the same for Logan.”
If Brown is looking for inspiration, he doesn't have to look much further than Brannstrom.
The Swedish defenceman missed most of camp because he had close contact with someone who had COVID-19 just before camp got underway and had to quarantine for 14 days.
With the Senators struggling defensively, many said Brannstrom should have been elevated to the taxi squad and inserted into the lineup.
While he played 10 games overseas with HC Langnau in the Swiss league, Brannstrom took part in only one training camp scrimmage, and the organization wanted him to have a couple of weeks working with Belleville coach Troy Mann. It has worked out perfectly and Smith has been duly impressed.
As the skate wrapped up Sunday, Smith let Brannstrom know how far his game had come from last year.
“I just told him, `What a difference in a year,'” Smith said. “He admitted he's faster, he's more confident and that comes with playing games in the NHL, going back to the minors and coming back up. He's just looks, and he admitted this … he's so much more confident. He's in better shape and he's quicker.
“That's why the scouts identified him as a high-end prospect. This is the player that they saw, and the NHL is a hard league, especially for defencemen that come in at 20 years old. He looks like he's ready now, he's making plays, he's defending really well and he's got good feet. At some point down the road, he's probably a guy who's going to be able to do power play and penalty kill and all of the above.
“He's been a great addition for us and I have to give credit to (player development co-ordinator) Shean Donovan and the guys that worked with him throughout the time he was back here to get him ready because he's certainly was ready to go when he got his chance.”