Smith talks additions, Senators playoff chances in Q&A with NHL.com

In NHL.com's Q&A feature, we talk to key figures in the game. This time, the feature is "Sitting Down with …". Ottawa Senators coach D.J. Smith is looking forward to training camp.

Smith talks about Ottawa Senators' playoff chances in Q&A with NHL.com. Coach also discusses emergence of Tkachuk, Stutzle, importance of fast start. Ottawa finished seventh in the Atlantic Division last season, 27 points behind the Washington Capitals for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat were signed by Ottawa this summer. Brady T kachuck was signed from Manchester United.

Pierre Dorion believes the Senators have a chance to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Dorions believes Alex DeBrincat, Claude Giroux and the team's other players will improve. The team needs to stay healthy and improve its team play.

The team has to get off to a good start and maintain pace with the elite of the Atlantic Division. Last year, the team lost a lot of games because of injuries and because there was no goaltender.

Smith talks about Ottawa Senators' players and their playoff chances in Q&A with NHL.com. He likes Anton Forsberg and Cam Talbot as Senators goalkeepers. He thinks Dion made an underrated move by signing Talot. Senators need to play in front of their goalies less to make their job easier.

Shane Pinto is a player who missed last season due to injury. He looks good so far. There are still unknowns about him, but the team has confidence he can be a good NHL player.

Smith talks about Ottawa Senators' playoff chances in Q&A with NHL.com. He doesn't think captain Brady Tkachuk tries to do too much at times. Smith thinks T kachuck has matured as a player and understands how a hockey game is won.

Brady and Matthew play in the same conference with the Florida Panthers. Brady thinks Matthew would prefer to play him twice a year when he was with Calgary Flames. Matthew is excited about playing against other teams. "There's going to be nights where they're the underdog, but there's also nights when they are even or better than some teams."

The Ottawa Senators are looking for a replacement for Thomas Chabot. They have a lot of experience on the back end, but they need to prove it now. The team needs to have the puck more and play with it more. There are a few unknowns in the defense, and some players are fighting for jobs.

Tim Stutzle is coming into his own as an NHL player. He played center last year because of all the injuries. Stuttler is very competitive and understands the NHL very well. He understands how hard the League is and what practice means. Senators coach Bob Smith is excited watching Timmy play. Smith believes Tim is going to be a good player for a long time.

Mike Babcock was an assistant coach at Toronto Maple Leafs for four seasons. He will be the new coach in Ottawa in May 2019. Babck learned to be steady on the rudder and to stick with his approach.   "The NHL is so like that. You may lose two, you may win two or five games, but you have to believe in what you believe and stick to it."