SENATORS HUNT FOR RIGHT FIT
team has many roster decisions to make this off-season, starting with the NHL draft
D.J. Smith was headed back to Windsor for the weekend, but he'll return to the Canadian Tire Centre on Monday morning to continue his preparations for next season.
Like everybody else, the Ottawa Senators coach isn't sure when the 2020-21 campaign will begin, but when it does he'll be well-prepared. He's been in the office with most of his coaching staff for the past week, and preparations are well under way for training camp, which is supposed to start Nov. 17.
Though there are no guarantees the season will start Dec. 1, the dates for the NHL draft Oct. 6-7 and free agency Oct. 9 are set in stone. Qualifying offers are due on Oct. 7 at 5 p.m. EST, so one way or another the business around the NHL is going to heat up.
General manager Pierre Dorion, Smith and the rest of the hockey operations staff have been busy trying to shape the roster. They've been looking at video of players who may be available in trades or unrestricted free agents that could be of interest.
Those discussions will continue over the next few weeks.
They're doing a lot of talking and still need to add more veterans to help the young players.
“Are they the right pieces to help these kids along the way?” Smith said Thursday afternoon. “The management and the scouting staff will identify those players, but ultimately the goal is that these young kids will turn to men and will end being these teams that we're watching on TV (right now).”
Like everybody else, Smith views the draft as a huge opportunity for the organization.
The club has the No. 3 and No. 5 picks in the draft. The firstround pick Ottawa received from the New York Islanders is now locked in at No. 28 after they were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern final Thursday night.
That was a key piece in the deal that sent centre Jean- Gabriel Pageau to the Islanders, while the Senators also have New York's No. 58 overall selection. Ottawa would have received another third-round pick in 2022 had the Islanders made it to the final.
The key is the Senators will have plenty of options with seven picks in the first two rounds of this draft.
Smith is confident Dorion and chief scout Trent Mann are going to add high-end prospects to the organization, especially with those top two picks. As noted by Dan Marr, the head of the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau in an interview Thursday, the Senators can't go wrong with either Quinton Byfield of Sudbury or Tim Stuetzle of Mann in the Deutsch Elite League.
“Very rarely, as a head coach, do you get a player or players that can play for you right away,” Smith said. “Not to say that they will, but certainly when you're picking third that guy may play a few games and may play the season. You don't know, but it's an opportunity to get what we think down the road is a franchise, superstar kind of player.
“With as many picks as we have, there's going to be some players who we take in the third or fourth round that turn out to be better than some of these second round picks. You just don't know. It's exciting to get that many (prospects) and then see them come join us here and how long it takes to push them over the top.”
Smith said there should be good battles in training camp.
“I see some competition,” he said. “It all depends on who Pierre adds through free agency and trades, and a lot of crazy things can happen at the draft when a certain team wants a certain player and they make someone available (in a trade). But there's going to be some spots. People are going fight for spots, but there's also going to be guys fighting to get into the top 6 or just to play every night.
“When you get enough good, young competitive players that's what you want.”
Yes, Smith is disappointed to lose veteran defenceman Mark Borowiecki, but is confident there are young players who will be able to earn jobs down the road. That doesn't mean the club won't go out and get a veteran defenceman, because you can't rely on all the young players.
“There comes time sometimes, and it happens to a lot of players, where they move on and it's another chapter in their career,” Smith said of Borowiecki. “I think it's fair to say Boro gave every single ounce of energy and effort to the Ottawa Senators and to the community here. Certainly that will be a loss.
“In saying that, it's a new time and it's time for somebody else to take those reins and that's part of growth. It's time for somebody else to take over in the room and to do those kind of things.” bgarrioch@postmedia.com
Twitter: @sungarrioch
Very rarely, as a head coach, do you get a player or players that can play for you right away. Not to say that they will, but ... that guy may play a few games.