Ottawa Senators should interview Brad Shaw for head coach job

The Ottawa Senators search for a head coach continues and one name has emerged that could be an ideal candidate for the rebuilding team.

With the Ottawa Senators needing to improve defensively, Columbus Blue Jackets assistant coach Brad Shaw has been mentioned as an ideal candidate for the top job in the Canadian capital.

The Senators have two of the best young defencemen prospects in the league in Thomas Chabot, now an established NHLer, and Erik Brannstrom.

To have a successful rebuild, both players will need to be developed further and given plenty of guidance while the team transitions from bottom dwellers back up the league standings.

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A strong, defensive savvy coach would go a long way in helping the Senators during this time of great change and Shaw is a familiar face that could help be the guiding light.

Shaw previously played for the Senators during their first two seasons in existence, being named team captain during his second campaign with the organisation.

A right-handed defenceman during his playing days, Shaw has been involved in coaching since 1999 and has held head coaching roles in both the AHL and NHL – though the latter was just in the interim.

During the 2005/06 season, Shaw spent a 40-game spell in charge of the New York Islanders – guiding them to an 18-18-4 record.

Since then, the Cambridge, Ontario native has held assistant and associate coaching roles with the St. Louis Blues (2006 – 2016) and Blue Jackets (since 2016).

While in St. Louis and Columbus, Shaw has predominantly overseen the defensive side of the game and helped the Blue Jackets finish this past regular season with the joint-best penalty killing unit – alongside the Tampa Bay Lightning and Arizona Coyotes with an 85% success rate.

His successes on the defensive side of the ice should certainly be an intriguing prospect for the Ottawa Senators, who could build a true contender around the likes of Chabot and Brannstrom.

Shaw is very familiar with the city of Ottawa also, having also played junior hockey with the Ottawa 67s.

Per Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, current Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella spoke extremely highly of Shaw – praising his intelligence and qualities as a teacher.

These particular traits would help the Ottawa Senators greatly during their rebuild, with a very young roster beginning to emerge – with a number of top, young prospects in the pipeline.

What might also help bring Shaw into the Senators organisation, again per Johnston, is the fact that he has resided in Kanata during the off-season for the past 25 years.

Being so familiar with his surroundings, close to his home, while also having a real shot in the NHL could entice Shaw if the organisation opted to bring him in for an interview.

With plenty of years as an assistant under his belt and defensive-minded qualities that could truly benefit the organisation, it would seem almost irresponsible for the Ottawa Senators to not at least consider him for an interview.

What do you think Sens fans? Would you be interested in seeing Brad Shaw throw his name into the ring for the top job? Who would you like to see given an opportunity? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!