Q and A with Senators GM Steve Staios: How will Ottawa get to the next level?

QUEBEC CITY — It’s been nearly two years since Steve Staios took over as GM of the Ottawa Senators, and in that time the franchise has risen from a fledgling soap opera to one on the rise with all kinds of promise and potential. In his first full NHL season in charge, Staios got the Senators into the playoffs after hiring a new coach in Travis Green and adding key veterans such as David Perron, Nick Jensen and Michael Amadio.

Now Staios’ challenge is to ensure Ottawa isn’t just a one-year playoff wonder.

Ahead of the new season, Sportsnet.ca interviewed Staios one-on-one when the team was in Quebec City for a portion of their pre-season.

(This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.)

SN: How have you evolved as Senators GM the past two years? 

Steve Staios: I don’t really know how to answer that. With more experience and more time in the league, you grow more comfortable, but you get a better feel for things, for sure. But I’ve sort of taken the same approach, same principles and same approach, that I learned as a manager and came through the Ontario Hockey League, and it’s just on a much different scale.

SN: You talk about not making rash moves and being process orientated: whatâ€s the balance between action and inaction?

SS: I’m very eager in trying to help improve the team. We look at a lot of things, so we’re very eager in our approach, and then we’re sort of more patient in making those decisions. The way I saw this group from the beginning was a strong core of young players who were still just scratching the surface, and everybody wants to get there quickly. I know our fan base does, certainly. And my approach with that was just to make sure that we surround them with the right people and veterans as well, guys with some experience. Because there’s nothing like having a teammate who has been through some of those situations to be able to help guide them along. Thatâ€s where I think I can’t say if I was managing a different team, would my approach be different? But for this group in particular I was convinced that was the right approach.

SN: Where do you believe this team is on a timeline to ultimately be hoping to win a Stanley Cup? 

SS: That’s a hard one to answer. Really they continue to move in that direction. I think that was evident through last year. You watch how they come into training camp, and the fitness and the commitment, so you hope that there’s going to be–you feel like there should be–another step with this group. It’s hard to really put a timeline on it. Does the experience of playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year catapult them? These progressions are never in a straight line. 

I feel like there’s a maturity and a real high level of professionalism with this group now that wasn’t here on day one.

We’re happy with that step last year, but we’re certainly not satisfied.

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SN: If this teamâ€s playing well and in a playoff spot, how aggressive are you going to be? 

SS: Ultimately, the players will tell us for sure, and then it’s my job to be able to execute on anything that they may need to take that next step.

SN: What are the areas that you can improve upon?

SS: That remains to be seen, because I think that–and I’ve used the term probably too many times–but internal growth. I have belief and faith that each individual will get better. And I’m not just talking about that core group of players, because they certainly have it, but I saw how fit Claude Giroux and David Perron came into camp. You can get better at any age. I certainly feel like we have the right coach and coaching staff to do that. Travis (Green) has a history of getting the most out of individuals as well.

SN: How much of a benefit is it having your young core of players locked up to long-term contracts (outside of Shane Pinto)? 

SS: Yeah, certainly. They’re growing together. When you come into a situation as a manager, you assess it properly and diligently in detail, and then you come up with a plan. There were good things, and then a lot of things that we needed to improve on. The core group of players that are signed give some stability to that group moving forward.

SN: How close to the cap do you expect to spend as it rises in the next few years?

SS: We’ll address that when we get there. We have some cap space this year. I’m focused on that. We have a plan for future years and what we believe our team is going to look like cap wise. If this team is in good shape and moves in the right direction and we have an opportunity to add to it, we will. I think every year, we’ll assess it individually.

SN: Where do things stand in terms of contract negotiations right now with Shane Pinto? 

SS: There’s good positive dialogue. What was relayed back to me was that heâ€d want to let the season start and it not to be a distraction for Shane. So, I’m open to negotiating a contract for Shane. Iâ€ve been clear that I want to make him part of this group longer term, and I think there’s benefits for the player in that regard. I won’t negotiate through the media. Whenever they’re willing to get going on a conversation, I’m open to it.

SN: Do you have a preference in terms of short or long term?

SS: Weâ€re open (to either short or long term) in our approach.

SN: How involved is Michael Andlauer in hockey decisions? 

SS: We have great dialogue daily.

He’s an incredible leader to where he has great knowledge in the business and in hockey. And he always asks great questions and will always challenge me. I think just in my process and way of thinking, he gets you to continually think about it. So, he’s got great leadership ability that way, where he plays devil’s advocate, asks all the tough questions, but also allows us to make decisions on hockey ops. So, involved is an interesting word, because I think if I say yes, he’s involved, people would tend to think that he’s making the decisions, but that would be the best way for me to describe it. He’s certainly involved in the conversation. 

SN: How important is it for you as a GM that Andlauer does let you make the final decision?

SS: Heâ€ll be the first one to say that that’s the only way to be able to hold someone accountable. And it’s no different (from) my approach with, as an example, Travis. We discuss and  I ask questions, I offer my opinion, but ultimately Travis is held accountable, whether itâ€s system play, style of play, how lines roll out. So that’s our approach across the board. Obviously, I’m held accountable too.

SN: What level of emphasis do you have on development for Carter Yakemchuk this season over playing NHL games? 

SS: We have some time to make that decision, and ultimately it’d be up to him, and that’s one thing that I had reminded him of when we went out to make a trade for Jordan Spence. I wanted to clear (Yakemchuk’s) head, to come in and try to make the team. And ultimately, if he does make the team, then I have a decision to make. And if we feel like he’s the best player to come in and play in that spot then he will. Of course, I’m mindful. You look at history on these types of players, and is it good for them to have a little bit of time in the American Hockey League again? I think time will tell. We haven’t made our minds up, because we ultimately want to be honest with Yak and tell him that, like, if you come in, you earn a spot, you’re going to play.

SN: What’s the challenge of trying to develop players while also trying to win?

SS: Ultimately, we’re here to win games. If they’re developing while helping us win, great, which I think we are doing. But if they need time to develop with more ice time in the American League, we’ll take that approach. 

SN: How tough is it as a coach for Travis Green going into year two, when you’ve set a culture that expects to take the next step?

SS: I’ll take you back to the interview process when I was identifying our next head coach here in Ottawa. And I think the elements that you’re seeing from Travis are what intrigued me the most about him. We’re aligned in how we create culture and environment. We’re aligned on accountability. As far as him taking the next step, it’s a question you can ask him, but certainly with the majority of the group returning, you can just even see it through practice and through training camp. It’s fast. The execution has been better because we set the template of how we want to play and how we want to practice. I’m hoping that that’s an advantage. 

SN: How impressed are you by Thomas Chabotâ€s ability to adjust to his new role on the second pair? 

SS: It speaks to the character of the individual. He’s a highly skilled, highly talented player, but he’s a team first guy. So (I) never hear him complain about being on a second pair or a second unit.

In looking back and not really watching Chabotâ€s progression as a player closely not being here, but you could see that he was getting better. But it was clear he needed a defence partner that would settle things down and complement him. And that was a big thing with (Nick) Jensen coming, and I think it allowed Thomas to play his game and not worry too much. 

SN: How much confidence do you have in Linus Ullmark heading into the season? 

SS: Linus is his harshest critic. We all have full belief in Linus. And so, it’s amazing the goaltending position, because if we have one of our players, a forward, who has an off day or an off week, there’s a lot of support around him. But goaltending is interesting and different but we have belief in Linus. Heâ€s driven and a great teammate. 

SN: How open are you to adding a goaltender before the season?

SS: Leeviâ€s a young goaltender, and Mads is a young goaltender. I think they both have great talent. The goaltending position is where there’s ups and downs with it, and I think both those guys are capable and so (weâ€ll) continue to watch and see, but at this point in time, I have no interest.

SN: How much do you feel this team’s contention window is tied to Brady Tkachukâ€s remaining three years on his contract?

SS: Bradyâ€s Brady.

He’s the ultimate driver, and he continues to get better. And it’s been really impressive to watch not only his game grow, but he is always a good leader, so just to watch his leadership grow. And as far as the window, like I’m hoping, the window (with Brady) is a lot longer than (three years). 

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