Brady Tkachuk opens up about D.J. Smith's firing as Ottawa Senators head coach

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk spoke out about D.J. Smith's firing as head coach. On Monday, the Senators relieved D.J. Smith of his duties as the club's head coach and brought in two franchise leaders on board to turn around the slumping team.

The Senators named Jacques Martin, 71, as the club's new interim coach. Martin previously served as the head coach of the team, securing 341 regular-season wins in his tenure from 1996 to 2004.

Meanwhile, the franchise's all-time leading scorer Daniel Alfredsson was named the club's assistant coach. Alfredsson replaced Davis Payne behind the bench.

Ottawa Senators v Toronto Maple Leafs

Smith joined the Senators in the 2019-20 season and with the new ownership under Michael Andlauer, fans had high hopes of witnessing a much better Ottawa team. However, that never happened and the pressure on Smith to deliver was inevitably mounting day by day.

The Sens got off to a slumping start languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. As a result, D.J. Smith was fired by the franchise after posting a 131-154-32 record in his tenure. The club also never made it into the playoffs under Smith.

Following the Ottawa Senators' 4-3 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday, Brady Tkachuk when questioned about his thoughts on D.J. Smith said (via The Hockey News):

"Obviously, it's tough," Tkachuk told the media before Tuesday night's loss in Arizona. "D.J. kind of helped me get to where I'm at and Payner [Davis Payne] as well. They both had huge impacts on me as a player, person and as a leader. And I'm grateful for everything that they've done for myself individually and the guys that have been here from the start."

Tkachuk also thanked Smith for being constant support throughout most of his career in Ottawa:

"He pulled me aside when he found out, and then I saw him again before he left," Tkachuk said. "Yeah, of course, it's tough. We've been through a lot together from day one to where we're at now.

"I wouldn't be the same person or player that I am now, so I'm really appreciative of everything that he's done for me. It's tough to see a good person and unbelievable coach leave."

D.J. Smith became the fourth coach to be sacked this season following the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues.

What's next for Brady Tkachuk and Ottawa Senators?

With 27 points after 22 games (11-16-0), the Ottawa Senators are languishing at the bottom of both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, 30th in the league standings.

Ottawa Senators v Arizona Coyotes

The Senators are 3-7-0 in their last ten outings and are currently on a five-game losing streak. Their most recent defeat came to the Arizona Coyotes (4-3) on Tuesday, which was also the first game in charge for Jacques Martin.

Tim Stutzle is the leading scorer for the team with 30 points, followed by Claude Giroux with 25 points. Meanwhile, captain Brady Tkachuk has notched up 21 points (14 goals and seven assists) in 27 games.

The Senators last made the playoffs in 2016. Brady Tkachuk and the Sens will look to end their losing skid when they face the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday.