Cold ice, hot seats: 3 coaches who might not make it to the end of the season

1. D.J. Smith, Ottawa Senators

D.J. Smith is in his fifth season with the Ottawa Senators, and the best finish the team has had thus far is a 39-35-8 record last season finishing in sixth place in the Atlantic Division. Through eight games, the Senators have been one of the most talked about teams this season with a high-flying offense. The Sens are averaging four goals a game, yet they are still just 4-4- on the year.

The Senators have a roster built to win now. Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Jake Sanderson, Mathieu Joseph and so many other star players are playing some great hockey to start the season. But when it comes to the playoffs, experience is king.

Smith has been a great coach for the Senators through their rebuild over the last five seasons, but is he really the guy to get them to the playoffs and compete in a playoff series? There are options out there should the Sens decide to go for a coaching change, and with a new owner running things in Michael Andlauer, the decision to make a coaching change might not even belong to GM Pierre Dorion.