Fair assertion. I'm just saying I'd rather have rolled the dice on trying the guy out this season, disgruntled as he might have been. Rather than making that trade for Sanford and then relying on waiver claims in Gambrell and Gaudette to fill the 4C. They gave up on Logan over the past two seasons, I think the straw fell when Norris got the call over him (begs the question why we didn't call them both up at the time....? oh yeah, Stepan and Paquette).
- Bartacus

I bet if the Sens wait 10 days when White got hurt that they wouldn't have traded Logan Brown!

L. Brown news for those interested.

https://twitter.com/lkora...tatus/1468660481552486407
- granpa

I posted a few stats in my blog in the comment section about what he was doing in 4 games. The crazy thing was last game, STL only played 10 forwards and 7 Dmen, decimated by injuries and covid. Tonight they went 11/7, he had 14 min TOI but all zeroes in the stat column. If he's still in the line up come Dec. 21st. 6 games from now, it'll be interesting to see how does here!

I agree that this coaching staff has a biased/flawed view of player performance that leads to very questionable player deployment choices.
- SensFan25

This season should be all about player development, let them make mistakes, grow into bigger roles on the team next year!!!!!

I would like to see Stutzle take some regular shifts with Brady. Brady goes for the net and he forces the play inside. I think it is the space where Stutzle needs to learn to navigate. He looks pretty solid with the physical part of the game and He is moving closer to the net as he grows his game but he still needs to get in a little tighter.
- spatso

This would be a dynamite combo, but if it makes sense, this coach doesn't do it. Common sense doesn't prevail in his world. I have heard some stories about DJ through the scouting staff and a few players, he better be careful.....if it continues, he will lose this team....mark my words!

Two quick points:1) does anyone actually care what is written in the Sun anymore? I mean, i like Warren but the bulk of the Sens stuff is written by a cypher. Crapping on Gus is just a way to soothe the GMs butthurt from the lambasting he rightfully took on the Murray demotion.
On formenton, he needs to understand that he is playing for legendary coach John Brophy and not some wimpy modern coach with the fancy numbers and all. You wanna play more Alex? Get out there and punch someone in the face.
- Helm

Great points on all accounts. Alex tried to get in a fight a few games ago, but it got broken up fast by the refs, but sadly, you are soooo right with this coach. He is far too old school, he needs to change with the times!!!

Per the UFAs - scorched earth. Maybe resign Paul if he's willing to take a haircut - but the way he's playing with top 6 minutes this year, anything 1.1+, forget about it. Tierney goes to whoever needs a centre and is foolish enough to think he can be a good third liner. Holden's a replacement player, somebody might bite for a 6th or 7th but his salary is too high. Heatherington I'd resign a year if he went two way and played for 250k or less in the minors (exactly his contract now). Josh Brown should be marched out of town Game of Thrones shame style.
- Bartacus

Paul and Forsberg, could get fetch the most at the deadline, Sanford is so up and down each game, Mr. inconsistent, but some team will bite on him!

I don't think Gus played all that well - which was expected - after what you said about the practice time.


But for me it goes to the real problem with this team and you touched on it.....Some absolutely HEAD SCRATCHING coaching decisions by this guy. It's almost like he gets into a mode or a way of thinking and he won't be swayed. Even by crap results. Weather it's punishing young players but not veterans for the same mistakes, putting the wrong people in the wrong situations to just downright goofy line combinations. He's WAY out of his depth here.

For me, I would not have started Gus...for precisely the reason you alluded to. ZERO practice time. They were tired, coming upon a long break before Tampa. You stick with the hot winning hand. When did it become a "thing" to not play goalies back to back? Hell NHL teams used to only have ONE goalie. These people aren't made of glass. You roll with the winner and don't shove the cold-hasn't-seen-the-ice in 10 days guy in the net. Just DUMB.

Not a single person would have questioned starting Foresberg, in fact people would have been like...."ya...damn right".....especially the Tampa Bay Rays. That's right. The BASEBALL team, who, on a small budget, continue to think outside the box and produce. THIS is what Ottawa needs to do. This is how they need to manage and THIS is how they need to coach. Innovative thinking. Our coach is not innovative. He's lost.
- Octavarium

1st time HC and it shows! The first paragraph you wrote is SOOOOOO correct! Plus beyond agree with you on Forsberg starting. He set up Gus for failure, he knew the spot his team was in, 2 back to backs in a 5 game in 7 night stretch. DJ truly makes sooooo many questionable decisions game in and out. I do like the Rays analogy, I never thought of that and so true. Great post.

Tkachuk is also strong in the FO circle, which Stutzle will need help with for quite a while (which isn't so unusual, if you look at guys like MacKinnon, Pettersson). It also potentially justifies giving White a look at RW beside Stutzle when he's back from injury, as both could help alleviate some of the FO pressure. Either of those adjustments would facilitate moving Paul down the lineup, and bringing Formenton into a more prominent scoring role, which is just win-win at this point.

Formenton-Norris-Batherson
Tkachuk-Stutzle-Brown

Paul-Tierney-Ennis
Sanford-Gambrell-Watson

Hey, what do you know... two legitimate scoring lines. What a crazy thought.
- khawk

If you go back though, Brady has definitely worked on his faceoffs, he wasn't taking them much in his first 2 years as he is this year and last. There is no doubt that Nick Paul, should be on the 3rd line, no production and it would really make the opposition have to gameplan for the first 2 lines, but its insane how DJ doesn't see this!!! Love the line combos.

Gus didn’t play well but he has had a good season overall. Hard to lay into him but since he’s been one of the few bright spots of this team, it was a disappointing result.

The Isles game gave a dose of reality back after the mini-win streak. This team is still miles away from being a contender. The roster depth just isn’t there at all.

As for UFA’s upcoming:
A.Forsberg – Trade to a team looking for goaltender insurance if you can for a depth pick. Sens have lots of middling goalies now and upcoming.

J.Brown – Let him walk if you can’t get a 7th for him at the deadline.

N.Holden – Trade him to a contender for a pick. Next season should be utilizing youngsters assuming their development continues.

D.Heatherington – Let him walk. Redundant.

T.Ennis – I really like Ennis and am not sure why others don’t. I’d keep him as a depth forward. Slots on any line and has good speed and skill.

Paul – Likely could net you the best trade package at the deadline in season that is likely lost with little trade bait. I’d move him if the price was right. If you resign him, he likely will have a contract that is more expensive than what a guy on min salary which would probably yield the same results.

Tierney- If you can get something for him, trade him. Looking forward to Tierney not taking up ice time from youngsters.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

That is what I was trying to say in the blog, look at Gus's overall body of work, not one game, he was set up for failure in my eyes by the coach!!! But nothing this coach does surprises me anymore. Like you said, the depth on this roster is going to show up against quality teams most nights, but they can get away with it against average teams. Then the top teams, what they do is they take Ottawa lightly, then the Sens stay in those games.

As for Ennis, some nights he is beyond noticeable then other nights he is non-existent. He's a good vet though, do you keep him for a 4th line role to mentor the young prospects?

Formenton should be up with Norris and Batherson, plug Tkachuk beside Stutzle given Tkachuk can take faceoffs if need be. I do believe Tkachuk and Norris being best friends has something to do with their deployment - Smith thinks he'll make Brady sad/mad if he switches them up.

We will all forgive Gus the occasional bad game because he's 22 and is getting paid 800k - expectations are low, but a spade is a spade and a bad game is a bad game. Saying 'he's gonna ride the bus' is hyperbole and only shows up because his name is Gus and Sens journalists moronically think rhyming is clever and makes for good reading. By the way - 'Gus the bus' is an incredibly stupid nickname, and a Garrioch coined one at that - let's nickname our goalie of the future after the absolute worst mode of conveyance that exists, sure.
Guys, let's not make that a thing.

Don't look now but Logan Brown has 3 points in 4 games on the fourth line. A major developmental cluck up by this management - imagine he only plays in 29 games? Then St Louis nets what's basically a low third in Ottawa's fourth round pick. A+ considering we need a centre and quality picks.
- Bartacus

I think if the 1st line wasn't rolling as good as it is, DJ would be more tempted to break it up. Regardless, Alex should be in the top 6, end of story!!

Like I said in a few other comments, DJ set up Gus for failure the other night and I don't get how Garrioch goes off on Gus but doesn't bother to do the same with other players. Gus wasn't expected to be here until late in the season, he has been the consistent goaltender here, so to every insinuate that another bad game and he will be back riding the bus, then what Brucie needs to realize is that if it wasn't for Gus I guess a ton of the other players should've been sent down too or made a healthy scratch. It's Garrioch's double standard that is sooooo fooooolish. All he had to do was look at the body of work for both goalies and he NEVER would've made such a ridiculous statement.

As many of you know I do the blog here at hockeybuzz for us NHL gamblers. I watch the Canadian teams closely and as an outsider, watching the Sens, I can't believe how DJ Smith handles his bench, especially with younger players. I don't see this coach getting Ottawa over the top when they become contenders. He actually reminds me of Guy Boucher and how he was with his vets in Ottawa but he did the exact thing in Tampa yet Dorion hired him knowing this. No wonder Boucher hasn't got a sniff of the NHL since. Smith is following the same path. I think the sooner Pierre McGuire starts making decisions behind the scenes with your owner, the sooner this team realizes its potential. I could go on here but this is how I see things playing out. Smith smothers his young players rather than giving them the freedom to learn on the job as they say.

The guy has been radio silent since day one of training camp, it's actually quite bizarre considering Dorion said he would be speaking to the media more on his behalf when he was hired!
- Kevin Francis

He should be out doing Community Stuff however You know His addiction so Management keep him chained in the basement.

Thomas Chabot is the new Kris Letang with Team Canada; except this time there's not anyone better than him on his side of the ice

Just looking at ice time and veteran presence, it's not even a question. Most people, especially those that don't watch every game, how much of the load he has to take on. It's not even a question - playing with veteran players this guy would only make everyone on that ice better, including himself with balanced ice time

27:26 - Thomas Chabot (Tkachuk, Norris, Batherson, ?)
26:23 - Darnell Nurse (McDavid, Draisaitl, NugentHopkins)
24:33 - Devon Toews (Mackinnon, Landeskog, Rantanen, Maker)
24:06 - Morgan Rielly (Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander)
22:30 - Shea Theodore (Stone, Pietrangelo, Pacioretty, Smith)

Kevin Francis: Defending Filip Gustavsson and Alex Formenton! Sens UFA's, what to do?
- Kevin Francis

Sign guys who cost less instead

— Eugene Melnyk, probably

Del Zotto on waivers

Del Zotto on waivers
- Crosside

Another failed PD signing... F, how embarrassing is it for him that anytime he goes into the UFA pool it bites him in the a$$

Another failed PD signing... F, how embarrassing is it for him that anytime he goes into the UFA pool it bites him in the a$$
- riceroni

That's because he goes shopping for $hit in the bargain bin, after everyone else has realized they're not worth UFA $. In the case of Del Zotto, it fell off the map particularly quickly... being on waivers before Christmas would have been a pessimistic projection, even in the capacity of him falling into a #6/7D role vs. whatever the hell they thought he was going to be.

That said, it's good to see them starting to call a spade a spade, regardless of contract... or the fact that most of these roster issues are 100% self-inflicted. Giving the net to Forsberg/Gustavsson, moving Stutzle to C, making room for Thomson, working Formenton up the lineup, even Gambrell looks like a decent add... those are undeniably moving the team closer to the desired future state, where more good young players are cast in prominent roster positions. Next step: stop signing useless veteran players.

Another failed PD signing... F, how embarrassing is it for him that anytime he goes into the UFA pool it bites him in the a$$
- riceroni

big time

Del Zotto on waivers
- Crosside

Obviously a bad signing by Dorion that he is responsible for... but I like this move a lot from him.

The only thing a GM can do to change how a coach uses their players is to take away the broken toys he keeps trying to play with and hiding them in the basement. Trading Gudbranson, Coburn, Reilly, and Wolanin last year was the only way to get Smith to dress Brannstrom - no other options. Plugging DZ in the minors nets guys like Brann, Lassi and JBD more time.... So granted, while he is responsible for this whole scenario unfolding in the first place, at least he's making the right move now.

Just looking at ice time and veteran presence, it's not even a question. Most people, especially those that don't watch every game, how much of the load he has to take on. It's not even a question - playing with veteran players this guy would only make everyone on that ice better, including himself with balanced ice time

27:26 - Thomas Chabot (Tkachuk, Norris, Batherson, ?)
26:23 - Darnell Nurse (McDavid, Draisaitl, NugentHopkins)
24:33 - Devon Toews (Mackinnon, Landeskog, Rantanen, Maker)
24:06 - Morgan Rielly (Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Nylander)
22:30 - Shea Theodore (Stone, Pietrangelo, Pacioretty, Smith)
- AlfieisKing

Great stats! Get the top 2 lines and defense shored up this summer and then Chabot can play more quality minutes rather than quantity.

Another failed PD signing... F, how embarrassing is it for him that anytime he goes into the UFA pool it bites him in the a$$
- riceroni

The problem is Dorion and even going back to Murray, they always had to another year onto these crazy UFA deals that didn't need to happen. There was no need to bring MDZ in with all the guys they had under contract. It goes back to Gonchar or Kovalev, always giving the extra year so these players would come here.

MDZ on waivers...Dorion threw poop at the wall and none stuck.....

That's because he goes shopping for $hit in the bargain bin, after everyone else has realized they're not worth UFA $. In the case of Del Zotto, it fell off the map particularly quickly... being on waivers before Christmas would have been a pessimistic projection, even in the capacity of him falling into a #6/7D role vs. whatever the hell they thought he was going to be.

That said, it's good to see them starting to call a spade a spade, regardless of contract... or the fact that most of these roster issues are 100% self-inflicted. Giving the net to Forsberg/Gustavsson, moving Stutzle to C, making room for Thomson, working Formenton up the lineup, even Gambrell looks like a decent add... those are undeniably moving the team closer to the desired future state, where more good young players are cast in prominent roster positions. Next step: stop signing useless veteran players.
- khawk

It's nice to see positive moves and recognizing mistakes, now when Josh Brown and Erik Brannstrom return from injury, we better not see Brown in the line up again as even MDZ brought more to the table than JBrown! If Brown gets into one game, then its right back to where the team was in November. Eliminate the dead weight.

MDZ on waivers...Dorion threw poop at the wall and none stuck.....
- Mithos

Like I was just saying in another comment, they never had to sign another defensemen considering all they had under contract, similar players etc....