Ottawa Senators head coach Travis Green’s extension was a no-brainer. The extension itself needs no explanation, but the timing does warrant a closer look.
Typically, organizations extend coaches before heading into or during the final year of their deals. For instance, the Colorado Avalanche recently extended their coach, Jared Bednar, right at the outset of the last season of his contract.
That wasn’t the case with Green. As insider Pierre LeBrun explained on a recent edition of Early Trading, the Senators extended their current bench boss with two years left on his deal.
“Normally, coaches get extended either a year out like we saw with Martin St. Louis, or John Hynes or Ryan Warsofsky last month. Or in the last year or their deal, at some point in the last 12 months.”
In fact, as Lebrun pointed out, it’s been a while since a team extended a coach with multiple years left of his contract.
“The last time that it happened… Mike Sullivan, years ago… he signed a new extension with the Penguins two and a half years out from the expiry of his current deal. So, it has happened, but it’s rare.”
But the big question is why the Senators moved to extend Green so soon. LeBrun underscored Green’s influence on the team and the path moving forward.
“I think the number one reason is this: The same way they doubled down on their core when they extended Drake Batherson, for example, and they want all these core guys signed, Travis Green is a huge part of what’s happened here. He’s changed the culture of this team. And Steve Staios and the Senators view Travis Green as just as an important part of the core in terms of where this is going next step and for this team to go deeper in the playoffs.”
LeBrun concluded the rationale by explaining that it’s all a question of having the core locked up, coach included.
“Why wait another year to get into this conversation with Travis Green? Let’s solidify that and have Travis Green’s contract kind of parallel a lot of the core guys.”
And yes, there is no question that Travis Green is a core guy in Ottawa.
Travis Green has been crucial to Senators’ resurgence
Travis Green has been crucial to the Ottawa Senators' resurgence from a rebuild to contention. When the Sens decided to rebuild in the post-Erik Karlsson era, the expectation was certainly unclear. While the team could have had a quick turnaround, as it did, there was also the risk that things could have soured like they did in Buffalo or Detroit.
And certainly, things seemed headed in that direction under DJ Smith.
But the transition from Smith to Green has been the organization’s best move in recent memory.
Sure, Staios deserves credit for the moves he has made. He definitely did not botch the Brady Tkachuk trade. But you have to wonder what would have happened if Green had never landed in the Nation’s Capital.
If there’s any move that has been fundamental to the Senators’ emergence as a playoff team, it has to be Green’s hiring. That’s why the organization moved to extend him now. The organization does not want any drama about job security for anyone.
It’s clear that ownership wants everyone to focus on playing hockey.
That’s what Green’s extension communicates to the entire NHL world.
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