Pierre Dorion took a leap of faith in his decision to hire Maple Leafs assistant Denis Joseph 'D.J.' Smith as the 14th head coach in Ottawa Senators franchise history.

The Senators general manager could’ve gone the safe – and more popular — route dipping into the club’s past by bringing back a former head coach, Rick Bowness or Jacques Martin, or even interim Marc Crawford who did a solid job after taking over from Guy Boucher. Crawford led a depleted Senators roster to a 7-10-1 record and was familiar with the current crop of youngsters and prospects in the organization.

Instead, Dorion is going out on a limb, laying his own job on the line with his latest hire.

New coach DJ Smith arrives with GM Pierre Dorion pic.twitter.com/DZU7bH98ah — Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) May 23, 2019

If Smith fails to carry out the prescribed rebuilding plan of getting the team close to the playoffs in the first year, and securing a postseason position in 2020-21, it’s more than likely the GM will be shown the door.

But in hindsight, Smith may have been the best candidate of the seven interviewed by Dorion and Senators assistant GM Peter MacTavish.

“For us, D.J. checked off all the boxes," Dorion noted at the introductory presser last Thursday. "There were numerous things we liked about D.J. One thing is his passion. I think his level of drive, his level of success didn’t match any other candidate we had. We really, really enjoyed his presence.”

Smith’s preparation and eye for detail obviously left an impression on the Senators' brain trust. The former Avalanche and Maple Leafs defenseman viewed 20 of the team’s games from various points in the season prior to being interviewed, breaking down the good, the bad and how he’d go about solving the club’s defensive woes.

He also made a lasting impression on Mike Babcock. Fresh off a 2015 Memorial Cup as head coach of the Oshawa Generals, Smith landed a job as a Maple Leafs assistant in Babcock’s first season at the helm in Toronto. After finishing a league-worst 30th overall in their first season under Babcock, the team posted three consecutive playoff appearances.

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Smith had been on Dorion’s radar since his first year in Toronto but was denied permission by then-Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello to interview for the post that eventually went to Boucher.

"I’m sitting here today, knowing I know that much more than I did three years ago," said Smith in a recent radio interview with TSN1200. "I needed to know the league. I needed to know how to treat people in the league, how the players are different, especially the big guys in the league, how they want to be coached.”

If Dorion didn’t scoop Smith up then another team certainly would have sooner or later. Per last week’s 31 Thoughts column by Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, he would’ve been the New York Islanders’ bench boss this season if Barry Trotz hadn’t become available.

“The passion, the energy level, the knowledge are really the three things that really excited us," said Dorion. "It was just a feeling, he was going to knock it out the park with this group of players."

Why does Smith’s hiring make it any different from previous Senator’s head coaches?

As stated above, the Islanders 1995 second-round pick understands the nuances of today’s NHL players. Smith taking the time to learn how to interact with youngsters and veterans alike is integral for future success.

"Today’s players are smart. They know what you’re about, and you need to know what they’re about," explained the 42-year old who spent 11 seasons in juniors, three as a head coach. “Everyone has a different way of motivating, and I’m a motivator. I will find different ways to press buttons on different players.

"I’m excited for this challenge. There’s going to be a lot of different personalities to deal with.”

Smith offered full credit for his engaging style around the dressing room to his junior coach with the Windsor Spitfires, former Quebec Nordiques forward Paul Gillis.

“Just his daily interaction with me, the way he talked to me differently than any other coach I’ve had, really entrusting me a lot more on a day-to-day basis as a person," he added. "Right then, it hit home with me, that’s the way you have got to get to people. When you speak to them, it’s not just about hockey but life in general. Let them know you’re a person as well. I just found he really drew that out of me."

The positive for Smith is that he’s able to draw experiences from both junior and pro hockey on the bench. He’s been front and centre with three Memorial Cup winners, two as an assistant coach with the Spitfires on Bob Boughner’s staff and one as a head coach with the Generals.

DJ smith is a good hire for @Senators . Known DJ for a long time. Smart guy who has paid his dues . Extremely positive and honest coach. Will be very good for the Sens young group. — Jason York (@jasonyork33) May 23, 2019

The three playoff runs with the Maple Leafs, though all first-round losses, showed Smith what it takes to reach the postseason and he’s certainly ready for the challenge ahead.

“For me as head coach for the first time in the NHL, to grow with these guys. It’s important for me and it's something I wanted to do, to grow with them," said Smith. "I’m always about team first. Everywhere I’ve been, it’s 'we before me'. The big [thing] is that we can do this together and I can’t be more excited than to start fresh as a group with a bunch of young guys that are hungry."

In the Senators media release Thursday, Dorion stated, “For us, a D.J. is a winner. He’s also a teacher with a foundation to develop and deliver to the fans of the Ottawa Senators the team, they deserve.”

Senators’ fans can only hope Dorion is bang on with his choice as head coach, because the GM is correct in saying fans deserve more.