OTTAWA — Steve Staios is a man who inspires others through actions, not words. And the Ottawa Senators general manager’s actions spoke loudly this off-season.
Staios made “minimal changes” during the off-season, he said, tinkering around the edges in acquiring Jordan Spence and veteran Lars Eller to solidify the right side of the blue line and the fourth-line centre role, respectively.
“I believe in the group, it’s pretty clear,” Staios told reporters at the Senators’ annual charity golf tournament on Monday.
Don’t forget Ottawa just broke into the playoffs and will be the 10th-youngest team in the league heading into the season, according to Elite Prospects.
“When you take an honest look at our group,” continued Staios, “and how they performed post-trade deadline, and even how they grew in that playoff series in Round 1, as a manager, you look back and you see that growth and (it) gives me optimism to bring the group back.”
The Senators also believe that 19-year-old Carter Yakemchuk could stamp his imprint on the team sooner than expected, making his place in Staios’ and head coach Travis Green’s scheme an intriguing training-camp storyline.
Still, Yakemchuk is coming off a so-so WHL season.
“Continued growth,” said Staios about his goal for Yakemchuk this season. “We want him to come in with the attitude of trying to make the hockey team as a young player, and we’ll have to be the gauge of that, and he’ll dictate that for us. But you gauge these young players coming in and where they’re at in their development. We’re extremely encouraged by the steps that he’s taken, but also the ceiling of the talent of the player.”
If Yakemchuk makes Ottawa’s roster out of training camp, it’s because he’s had a heck of a pre-season, which would only enhance Ottawa’s young talent pool with Jake Sanderson, Tim Stutzle, Ridly Greig and others still under 25.
Meanwhile, Ottawa didn’t have many assets or much cap space to work with this off-season, and yet Staios managed to improve the team — at least on paper — with the Spence and Eller additions.
Staios’ calculation is that a young Senators group that finally made the playoffs (and aided by some small-yet-impactful acquisitions) won’t regress when biological clocks rear into their primes.
“I think the next step is in our room. The young guys got to take the next step,” Stutzle said.
“Obviously, we’re a young team, but we can’t talk about that every year, (about) how young we are. We just got to take steps forward, and that’s what we have to do this year. And, yeah, everybody’s a year older now too, and we’ve been to the playoffs now. We know what it takes to get in, and we just got to show that every day.”
By the end of the season, we might be tired of hearing Staios use buzzwords “process” and “internal growth.” However, the fact of the matter is you need those concepts to come to fruition if you’re going to improve as a hockey club.
Yes, another top-six forward, or a stud defenceman, or if Connor McDavid said, “Hey, Ottawa seems fun,” would be great. But in the absence of any of those, it should be fascinating to see the impact of last season’s playoff run on the Senators’ young core.
“I think that’s just going to help us for coming into this year,” defenceman Thomas Chabot said. “It’s more experience for everybody. It’s a learning curve for everybody.”
The unquantifiable impact of experience for Ottawa’s young core will be quantifiably judged this season.
In theory, Staios’ bet appears sound, but there is a reason you play the games.
As Senators fans know all too well, winning the off-season doesn’t mean a thing.
Staios was asked about the status of Alex Formenton, whose NHL rights still belong to the Senators, after he was acquitted of a sexual assault charge dating to a 2018 Hockey Canada event in London, Ont., along with four others.
“I have no comment on that. In fact, it’s a league matter, and the player is ineligible to play,” said Staios about Formenton.
Formenton recently signed with HC Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland.
Chabot’s revitalized off-season
For the immensely talented Chabot, off-seasons have been more about recovery than progress of late.
Over three seasons before last, Chabot averaged just 59 games due to multiple ailments, including a wrist injury which required surgery.
But last season was different. Chabot played 80 games through some nagging, but not serious, afflictions and produced arguably the best season of his career on both sides of the ice.
“I went (through) two (or) three years of always being restrained in the gym and off the ice in the summer,” Chabot said. “So, I really took advantage of that this summer, on getting some strength and not being restrained to do anything in the gym or off the ice, and even skating on the ice in the summer.”
Chabot said he wants to maintain the same mindset he had last season.
“Last year, I told myself that it’s going to be (about) whatever it takes to win,” he said. “It’s not about individuals.”
Although every hockey player wants better statistical numbers and to play the top minutes, Chabot was forced to take back seat to Sanderson in terms of power play and minutes played.
Credit to Chabot for playing excellently in a reduced role after years of being the guyin Ottawa. Now, a healthy off-season, combined with increased comfort in his second-pair role, could make for an even better player next season.
One of the biggest question marks heading into training camp will be the availability of defenceman Nick Jensen, who had off-season hip surgery.
Well, his blue-line partner Chabot spilled some bread crumbs.
“He’s a man of few words, so he doesn’t give you a whole lot,” Chabot said. “I was actually really happy for him to see him back in Ottawa last week, and seeing him move in the gym and the way he was moving. So it looks like he’s doing pretty good.”
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