![]() A spokesperson told me to expect an agenda for that meeting to be released the week before, so we should probably have an idea if the LeBreton Flats project is on the docket at some point around June 16. I reached out to the National Capital Commission (NCC) recently and they confirmed to me that the next board of directors meeting will take place on Thursday, June 23. I’m glad you asked this question, because we’ve got an important date on the horizon. What’s next in the LeBreton Flats project? - Robert M. But let’s give this a few months and see where things are at once the season is underway. Sometimes, you just need the right pieces to fall into place and I’m not sure Smith has been surrounded with enough talent to date. Remember, there were a lot of people who didn’t think Cassidy himself was a capable NHL head coach in his first go-round in the league with the Capitals. Give him those things and let’s see what he can do behind the bench. And not enough talented forwards up front. Lack of an established top four on defence. I’m having a very hard time imagining a scenario where Ottawa misses the playoffs by a healthy margin once again and Smith retains his position after the 2022-23 campaign.īut I’ve always maintained Smith has been undermined by a handful of things that have been beyond his control. But if I’m making a very educated guess, Smith gets one last chance to prove he’s the right coach to move this team up in the standings. It’s crucial the Senators get off to a decent start next season, otherwise this type of chatter will only increase as we get to Christmas. And the pressure will certainly be on him to take this team to the next level. ![]() So even though the current coaching unemployment line includes the likes of Cassidy, Peter DeBoer, Barry Trotz, Claude Julien, Alain Vignealt, Mike Babcock and John Tortorella, it’s a bit of a stretch to assume they would be on Ottawa’s radar or vice versa.Īt the very least, I think Smith gets an opportunity to start next season as Ottawa’s head coach. And let’s be honest, the Senators have shown a reluctance to pay big money to head coaches in recent years. Smith also signed a contract extension prior to last season, which has given him a little bit of job security. ![]() My guess is that when players like Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot expressed their opinions about where the Senators could improve next season, upgrading the head coaching position wasn’t at the top of their lists. But the young core of this team believes in Smith and have all taken significant steps forward under his watch. Was Smith popular with all the veteran players on his roster? No - which is ironic, considering some fans are convinced Smith gives preferential treatment to older players. I truly believe they all respect and like the head coach at this point. Let’s start with the way Smith is perceived by the core of Ottawa’s young players. īut I simply don’t see this happening for a couple of reasons. And I understand the sentiment, given the fact that Cassidy guided the Bruins to the playoffs in each of his six seasons as head coach - including a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019.Ĭassidy has one year, $3 million left on his contract. There is a segment of Ottawa fans who believe Cassidy would be an upgrade on D.J. And a lot of questions in this week’s mailbag were along these similar lines, so I just picked this one from John. I’ve certainly seen all of the chatter this week in the wake of Cassidy’s surprising dismissal from Boston. (Note: Questions have been edited for clarity and length).īruce Cassidy is available. I picked several questions that I think reflect a good cross-section of what fans are thinking right now. So let’s dive into our first summer mailbag column of the season. If you’d like to see this format repeated this summer (in addition to my regular coverage around the team), please let me know in the comments section below. ![]() This first mailbag call received more than 100 submissions, so I’m hoping that means we’ve got the green light to do this again this summer. So if the appetite is there from our readers, I would love to replicate that pattern again this summer. Some questions were serious, some were silly and there were a whole bunch in between. You submitted a wide range of questions and I tackled them to the best of my ability each Friday. Last summer, I launched a weekly mailbag in the offseason and it was probably the most fun I’ve had on this job. And this where I rely on you to help shape some of my content during these down periods in the news cycle. We’ve reached the point in the Senators’ offseason where things are a little bit dry.
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