Daniel Alfredsson is 'leaning' towards returning to Senators coaching staff
Getting a deal done with the former captain may be all that’s holding up new head coach Travis Green, who was hired on May 7, from announcing his staff for the upcoming season.
Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jun 01, 2024 • Last updated 18 hours ago • 4 minute read
Travis Green and Daniel Alfredsson were once foes in the Battle of Ontario.
If all goes as planned, they’ll be working together for the same cause next season behind the Ottawa Senators bench and try to get the club back into the National Hockey League playoffs for the first time in eight years.
While nothing is official until every ‘i’ is dotted and every ‘t’ is crossed, NHL sources told Postmedia on Saturday that the former Senator captain was “leaning” towards returning to his assistant coaching role next season.
The most prolific player in franchise history, Alfredsson went behind the bench in December to assist interim head coach Jacques Martin after D.J. Smith was fired. He has held several discussions with Green, who was hired as head coach in early May.
Though Alfredsson told reporters close to the end of the 2023-24 season that he had caught the coaching bug during his stint as an Ottawa assistant, he was noncommittal about returning to the same role next season.
It would appear that, after taking sitting back, relaxing and spending some time in Sweden, Alfredsson has recharged his batteries and is poised to be back behind the bench.
Alfredsson and Steve Staios, the Senators’ president of hockey operations and general manager, had a long chat at the end of the past season to determine how the Hall of Famer may fit going forward.
No decisions could be made until the club had a new head coach in place, but owner Michael Andlauer and Staios both understand it’s important to have Alfredsson as part of the organization.
A six-time NHL all-star, Alfredsson suited up for 1,178 games with the Senators. He hung up his skates as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 426 goals and 682 assists for 1,108 points.
There was a lot of excitement last fall when the club brought Alfredsson back in a player-development role. At that time, he didn’t have a title and his role expanded after the change at head coach.
Neither Andlauer or Staios want Alfredsson to leave the organization and that’s why they feel it’s paramount that he plays a meaningful role in whatever area he wants to contribute.
Green also knows that having legendary former players like Alfredsson, Chris Phillips and Chris Neil around the organization is important. All three have had their numbers retired.
Current Senators appreciate the opportunity to have Alfredsson around to pass along whatever knowledge he can. He’s trying to help the likes of captain Brady Tkachuk and centre Tim Stutzle understand the importance of playing at both ends of the ice.
In fact, getting a deal done with Alfredsson may be all that’s holding up Green, who was hired on May 7, from formally announcing his staff for the upcoming season.
As Postmedia reported Thursday, former NHL head coach Mike Yeo is a frontrunner for a position on Green’s staff, along with Manitoba Moose assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner.
Yeo, 50, who had stints as a head coach with the Minnesota Wild, St Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers, left an assistant coaching position with the Vancouver Canucks last Tuesday to pursue another opportunity.
He was in charge of the Canucks’ penalty-killing units last season and would likely have a similar role with the Senators.
Yeo was only offered a one-year deal by the Canucks, but we’re told he has all but officially agreed to a three-year contract with the Senators.
A source said Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, who is headed into the final year of his contract, is tight with Green and would have recommended Yeo to be part of the staff here.
Baumgartner is a former NHL blueliner and would likely be in charge of running the defence.
He served as an assistant on Green’s staff with the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets and then followed him to Vancouver, where Green became head coach in 2017.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Ben Sexton, goalie coach Justin Peters and video coach Mike King are all retained by the Senators. Staios stated on the day he hired Green that he would recommend all of the coaching staff.
Sexton had a role behind the bench last season after Smith was fired, but could return to being the eye-in-the-sky with Peters during games.
Jack Capuano, who has been Ottawa’s associate coach for the last five seasons, may have found himself a similar role with the Minnesota Wild.
Well-respected Minnesota columnist Michael Russo reported Saturday that Capuano was the leading contender to join head coach John Hynes’ staff after the Wild parted ways with assistant Darby Hendrickson on Friday.
Capuano’s contract with the Senators will expire on July 1.
bgarrioch@postmedia.com
https://ottawacitizen.com/ottawa-sen...coaching-staff
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