Senators GM looks to make more changes
The talk turned to action for the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.
Stay tuned, Steve Staois, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, may have more moves up his sleeve before the National Hockey League trade deadline that’s set for 4 p.m. tonight.
Navigating his first deadline, Staois completed his first trade by sending winger Vladimir Tarasenko to the Florida Panthers for two draft picks Wednesday morning and then continued to work the phones from the club’s hotel in Huntington Beach.
Speaking before the Senators faced the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night at the Honda Center to begin a three-game tour of California, Staios indicated he’s trying to do more to help the club become competitive.
“I’m as active as anybody, I guess,” Staios told TSN 1200’s Gord Wilson on Wednesday. “We’re looking at the trade deadline as one opportunity to look at our group and see what might be out there on the market that can supplement our group. Maybe change the dynamic a little bit.
“So, we’re looking at all of it.” While the Senators are sellers, they’re also taking a longterm view and want to bring in players who will help. Staios has been forthright that he’s looking for a veteran forward who can help support captain Brady Tkachuk and another defenceman.
That’s difficult because contenders don’t want to give up assets. Those opportunities exist with non-playoff teams.
“You have to look at each player and each contract, and how it fits in with the Ottawa Senators,” Staios said. “If it’s a dynamic that fits, we’ll take somebody on with term and we’re not opposed to getting somebody with no term, giving them a spin and see how they fit with our group.”
Staios said the club is looking at every aspect, including goaltending. Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg have struggled to play with consistency.
“Our goaltending, with the right play in front of them, has shown that we have good goaltending,” Staios said. “There’s been some stretches where we’ve played some really good hockey and the inconsistencies is what we’re trying to put a finger on.
“Is it that we’re young? Is it the type of players? We’re looking at all that.”
The name of defenceman Jakob Chychrun has been at the forefront because teams have been calling Ottawa, but that doesn’t mean the club is in a hurry to make a trade.
It’s believed the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are among the teams that have kicked tires on Chychrun.
“We’re getting a lot interest in all of our players. We have good players. At this time of the year, you feel for the players because their names are out there,” Staios said. “But there’s nothing we’re actively doing on Jakob Chychrun. If I was on the other end of the line, I’d certainly be inquiring about a player of that calibre.”
The Senators have other players they’d like to move:
• Winger Dominik Kubalik, acquired in the deal that sent Alex Debrincat to the Detroit Red Wings, has struggled mightily and the Senators would like to move on from him.
• Defenceman Erik Brannstrom, who is making $2 million and will be an RFA on July 1, is among the players teams have called about.
• Centre Mark Kastelic has struggled to get ice time in a fourth-line role under interim coach Jacques Martin. Kastelic has another year left on his deal.
Staios said he’s enjoyed working the phones and trying to find the right pieces to help the Senators.
“It’s been great,” Staios said. “We have a process in place and an understanding of what we wanted to accomplish moving into it. Do we get to it all? The execution of it is what we’re on right now.
“We have some ideas in mind on where we wanted to get to coming out of this deadline if the opportunity presents itself. The market will dictate on a lot of these things and if we can really get there. Like I said, it’s one opportunity to move this team in the right direction.”