"It's not going to happen this season," Smith said. "I can't say not, but as of right now we're not planning on it. We're going to transition some of the younger guys into a leadership role."
Smith said the Senators expect to use three alternate captains on a game-by-game basis and that 23-year-old defenseman Thomas Chabot and 21-year-old forward Brady Tkachuk are top candidates to eventually become captain.
Ottawa has not had a captain since Erik Karlsson in 2017-18. The defenseman was traded to the San Jose Sharks after that season.
"I think everyone knows Chabot and Tkachuk are the guys pushing from the bottom," Smith said. "I don't see that happening this year. I see more of a group mentality where you're going to have to have people with leadership up front and leadership on the back end. Part of being a young team is maybe the coach has to be a leader maybe for one more year.
"They've been through a rebuild, been through winning and losing, and they know what's possibly coming next. It's unfair to rush that on a guy, and that's where we're at."
The Senators (25-34-12, .437 points percentage) failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a third straight season and did not make the Eastern Conference Qualifiers as part of the NHL Return to Play Plan announced May 26. They have the No. 3, No. 5 and No. 28 picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, to be held Oct. 6-7.
It's the first time a team has had two top-five selections since the New York Islanders (No. 1 and No. 5) in the 2000 NHL Draft. Ottawa acquired the No. 3 pick in the Karlsson trade and the No. 28 pick from the New York Islanders in the Jean-Gabriel Pageau trade Feb. 24.
Smith said he has met with general manager Pierre Dorion and the Senators hockey operations staff to evaluate potential trades and free agents. The NHL free agent market will open Oct. 9. It was pushed back from July 1 because of the pause in the season due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
"We have a great opportunity go through what all the best teams in the playoffs are doing systemwise and looking at some things that we may want to change," Smith said. "And then, ultimately I'm there if Pierre has any questions on possible free agents or whatever the case may be. It's good to be back. Naturally, when you get to September, anybody who's been in hockey knows you should be at the rink."
