GARRIOCH: Senators coach DJ Smith says he can’t wait for deadline to pass

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DJ Smith is counting the hours to the NHL trade deadline.

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Quite frankly, I can’t wait for Monday at 3 pm EDT to pass.

The Ottawa Senators’ coach has a front-row seat to what’s taking place in the club’s dressing room with the countdown to the deadline and Smith expects a sigh of relief when players find out if they’re staying here to finish the year or heading elsewhere to compete in the post-season.

Talk has been swirling about the future of several players with the Senators all but officially eliminated from the playoffs and those wondering what’s going to happen only have four days left before they find out if they’ll be aboard the club’s charter to Belmont, NY, Monday or not.

“Over the next (four) days there’s a lot of guys in that room and possibly the Columbus room that are going to be changing spots and it’s a tough time for them,” Smith said Wednesday before facing the Blue Jackets. “I look forward to this being done in (four) days and guys will know they’re here.”

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This situation hasn’t been easy on winger Nick Paul. He will celebrate his 27th birthday Sunday and not long after he blows out the candles on the cake, he could be packing his bags.

Paul, the last remaining piece in the organization from the trade that sent Jason Spezza to the Dallas Stars on July 1, 2014, has worked hard to establish himself as a full-time player with the Senators.

Smith has talked a lot with Paul this season about his situation to make sure his focus is on the ice. Paul said last month that early in the season he was distracted by the situation instead of just playing.

“I talk to him on a pretty regular basis,” Smith said. “He’s a guy that’s been here a long time and he’s a guy the other guys really like. But he’s a guy who wears it on his sleeve and he’s an emotional guy. He’s got family and he’d have a lot of people talking to him on a regular basis.

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“There’s a lot of pressure, and I’ve talked about this before, and that’s the mental health part of it. There’s a lot for (him to deal with) in these next (four) days.”

In the end, Paul’s future is in his hands.

He’d like to stay and the Senators would like to keep him, but his Toronto-based agent Paul Capizzano hasn’t been able to find common ground in contract with Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion.

TSN’s Darren Dreger noted Sunday that Paul’s camp “has a number in mind” and “the Senators haven’t reached it.” This could still go either way if the two sides can find a way to bridge the gap to get a three-or-four-year extension in place.

As we’ve noted, at some point in the next 96 hours, Paul will have to decide whether he’s going to take what the Senators are offering or leave it. If he determines he can’t stomach what the club has tabled, then the Senators will put him on the market and get the best return they can.

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This could have several twists and turns along with some intrigue which is why you should never-say-never at this juncture regarding a contract for Paul.

If Paul is not signed by Friday at 4 pm then Dorion and his staff will have to decide if it’s prudent to play the club’s best asset on the market Friday against the Philadelphia Flyers and Saturday at the Bell Center in Montreal.

We’re seeing teams protect assets all over the place, and Wednesday night the Seattle Kraken sat defenseman Mark Giordano.

There’s lots of interest in Paul from teams headed to the post-season.

You can be certain protecting assets will be the topics Dorion discusses with assistant GM Peter MacTavish and senior VP Pierre McGuire in the coming days and his closest advisors in the hockey operations department as they many arrive in town for the deadline.

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Chief pro scout Jim Clark and his staff will be among those on hand Thursday morning along with chief amateur scout Trent Mann and other members of hockey operations department.

But Paul isn’t the only player that’s drawn interest. A lot of experts on social media believe defenseman Josh Brown should be a healthy scratch but it just so happens he’s one of the most sought-after players on the club’s roster.

why? Because he’s 6-foot-5, he can kill penalties and brings a rugged game that can help a playoff-bound team. At UFA on July 1, Brown does his job, keeps his mouth shut and never complains about his ice-time. Even if a team brings him in depth, he’s not the kind of guy that will rock the boat.

Does Brown make mistakes that turn into goals-against? Of course he does and no one is perfect, but the notion he should scratched for any other reason than to protect the asset makes zero sense.

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Twitter: @sungarrioch