It has been three weeks since the Ottawa Senators’ season ended, but the team’s search for a head coach has persisted for a long time.
The better part of the second half was spent building a preferred list of candidates for their coaching vacancy. During this time, the Senators reportedly engaged with options with prospective head coaches who were out of work. The organization has been attached to names like Claude Julien, Craig Berube, Todd McLellan and Dean Evason.
Time passed and it never really felt like the Senators were moving closer to a decision on any of these candidates. Which made sense considering the front office is developing a reputation for methodical patience. If the organization wanted to cast as wide of a net as it could, waiting for the conclusion of the first round of the playoffs was justifiable. Good potential candidates could be made available after their teams failed to fulfill their playoff expectations this year.
We no longer have to worry about that because the Ottawa Senators have found their new head coach.
The Senators formally announced the hiring of Travis Green yesterday and he will be introduced to the media this morning.
Green has been a head coach for parts of six NHL seasons. His most recent stint occurred this season in New Jersey where he was named their interim head coach after Lindy Ruff’s dismissal. In 21 games with the Devils, Green compiled an 8-12-1 record.
Across his 335 games as an NHL head coach, he has a 141-159-35 record (.473). That mark barely exceeds what former head coach D.J. Smith accomplished in his five seasons behind the bench (131-154-32, .464) with the Senators.
Green does have the distinction of reaching the postseason. That occurred during the 2019-20 campaign — the only season Green had a winning record during his tenure. That Canucks team did come within a win of reaching the Western Conference Final.
I won’t mince words.
It’s an uninspiring hire from the outset.
Being the popular choice does not mean that a coach will be successful. We all endured the Pierre Dorion era. Making splashy moves may sell some t-shirts, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into success.
Travis Green can be successful in Ottawa.
I would not worry too much about his coaching record or lack of success. A lot of that can be explained by circumstance. Vancouver was an inherently flawed team during his tenure and New Jersey was riddled with significant injuries and poor goaltending.
I also want to afford new ownership and management the benefit of the doubt. To this point, they have hired good people on the hockey operations side. Sean Tierney, Dave Poulin and Jacques Martin were all welcomed additions. In the latter’s case, if Green receives an endorsement from the senior advisor to the coaching staff, maybe that should count for something.
This appointment will be met with some understandable cynicism, however.
As I mentioned earlier, Green has not enjoyed much success at the NHL level. His career gained traction after winning the WHL championship in the Portland Winterhawks’ 2012-13 season. From there he moved on to the Canucks’ AHL affiliate in Utica. There he spent four years earning praise for his work.
When the Canucks fired Willie Desjardins after the 2016-17 season, the organization was put in a position where they either name Green as their head coach or risk losing him to another organization.
A lot of concern is tied to the fact that the teams he has coached have had a lot in common with Ottawa and in both instances, they moved on.
With Vancouver, Green had some intriguing pieces to work with, but after reaching the second round of the playoffs, the Canucks failed to build on that momentum over the next two seasons.
When Green was ultimately fired in the middle of the 2021-22 season, the team’s numbers were abysmal.
After his struggles in Vancouver, the team eventually pivoted to a more experienced hand in Bruce Boudreau. Green had an interim tag in New Jersey, but was permitted to interview with other organizations as the Devils interviewed prospective candidates of their own.
At his end-of-the-year media availability, Green acknowledged that he wanted to remain in New Jersey.
"Fitzgerald and I have talked briefly. We'll talk more in the upcoming weeks. Do I want to be the head coach of this team? 100 percent. There's a lot of reasons why, one of them being the team is good and I want to win. There are certain parts of coaching that I believe in; collaboration is a big part of it, and I know when you talk about collaboration, that's seeing eye-to-eye with people throughout your organization. I think Fitzgerald and I see the game very similarly. I like what they're trying to do with the group and where they want to go.
But it's also collaborating throughout your organization, whether it's analytics or athletic training, and I think that's a huge part of winning.
Communication is a big part of what I believe in as coaching, and having accountability. I think these are all things that go into winning organizations.
Fitzgerald and I will talk more over the upcoming weeks, and we'll see where it ends up."
New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald had this to say about Green’s future with the organization:
"I owe it to the organization that I scour the coaching world for who I believe would be the perfect coach for this group moving forward for what's available out there," Fitzgerald said. "(Green) checks a lot of boxes. I think he's a no-nonsense head coach. I think he's very open. Players know where he stands and his thoughts. And that's important. But it's my responsibility to make sure no stone is left unturned."
It begs the question: if a similarly positioned (but maybe even further along roster) that has a lot of exciting young talent gets first-hand experience with Travis Green’s coaching and decides that they are better off looking for external upgrades, how do the Senators reconcile this and sell it to their fans?
Especially when Elliotte Friedman reported that the Senators were engaged in deep discussions with Craig Berube but had those conversations fall apart over two issues.
When talking with others in the NHL coaches’ circle, Friedman explained on a recent ‘32 Thoughts Podcast’ that “(Ottawa) wasn’t seen as Berube’s number one choice. I think he felt there were other options that he thought were potentially better for him.”
Friedman would continue.
“I know there is a lot of talk in Ottawa about money. I don’t think it’s that simple. I think that Berube is basically… Berube signed a contract in St. Louis that he is still under. He feels that is his worth and he can afford to pick and choose. If there is anything that he doesn’t like then he can just say, ‘Look, I’ll wait for longer.’ He is being paid next year by the Blues if he doesn’t coach. I think he can afford to be a little bit choosey. I think he can afford to say, ‘This is my number.’ I don’t think it’s necessarily that the Senators are being cheap here, but I think they knew what the number was going to be and I think they just felt it wasn’t where they wanted to go to. Plus, it was the fact that I think they sensed that were not necessarily his number one choice.”
Senators fans are understandably sensitive when it comes to money, but this may be a sobering revelation for Senators fans. The hope was that new ownership and a departure from the chaotic Melnyk era would make Ottawa a more viable destination for staff and personnel. There was also an added belief that more resources would be available to hire the best in class.
Until we hear from Michael Andlauer and Steve Staios, it is hard to know what Ottawa’s financial reality is or what the budget limitations are. Last season’s on-ice struggles certainly do not help with recruitment, so this transition into becoming a desirable place to be may take longer than hoped. On the other hand, this could also be an isolated occurrence. Berube is certainly entitled to his aspirations and goals, so maybe Ottawa is not the right fit for him at this time.
Ultimately, in this instance, it does not matter what the fans think or believe. It all comes down to the players. They are the ones who need to buy into and execute Green’s message, tactics and plan.
This is an incredibly important season. Several NHL insiders have hinted at some testiness behind the scenes and how losing has taken its toll on members of the Senators’ young core. Should this team continue to languish and fail to meet expectations, some of this core may decide to ask out.
No pressure.
Based on what we know about Andlauer, I think not being Berube's #1 choice was a bigger issue than the money.
That said, like a most Sens fans, I am not super-sold on Travis Green. I hope he works out and I am willing to give him a chance, but his hiring doesn't make me extra excited for the next season.
Mehhh. Great piece but I really want a dose of hope around this team. This hire isn't it, so I haven't found it yet and don't see where it will come from. How much more frustration before key pieces start asking for trades?