Ottawa Senators: Smith Returns, DeBrincat May Be Shared

DJ Smith and his coaching staff will return to the Ottawa Senators next season, the team’s general manager says.

Pierre Dorion said during an NHL draft media availability that he recommended keeping Smith to new Senators owner Michael Andlauer, who told him that the general manager was the one in charge of the hockey team.

The Senators had their best season under Smith last season, with a 39-35-8 record, but missed the playoffs every year during his four-year tenure.

Dorion also says the team is exploring the possibility of trading Alex DeBrincat.

He stressed that the winger had not asked for a trade, but that DeBrincat’s representatives had shown reluctance to sign a long-term deal with the Canadian team.

DeBrincat was dealt to the Senators from the Chicago Blackhawks in July 2022, in exchange for the seventh and 39th overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft, as well as a third-round pick in the 2023 draft.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 27, 2023.