Steve Staios And The Ottawa Senators Offseason Summer Chore List
As the President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the Ottawa Senators, Steve Staios and his staff have a busy offseason ahead, with little time for rest. One of their most crucial tasks is the hiring of Head Coach Travis Green, which will set the tone for the team’s direction. With the 2024 NHL Entry Draft looming, the management team has approximately six weeks to prepare and make key decisions.
Following the draft, their focus will shift to free agency, where they will aim to strengthen their roster for the 2024-25 season. The Senators’ management is working diligently to assemble a competitive team that can compete in the upcoming season, despite the limited time between the end of the playoffs and the start of the new season.
Steve Staios Hires Travis Green to Coach the Ottawa Senators
The decision to hire Travis Green as the Ottawa Senators’ new head coach was a significant one, given the high turnover rate in the NHL coaching ranks. With 10 head coaches being fired since October 2023, Steve Staios and the Senators had a wide pool of candidates to consider. However, they had to factor in whether prospective coaches were willing to join the Senators’ organization.
Green’s adaptability and coaching style seem to be a good fit for the team. He sets high standards for his players, emphasizing the importance of being prepared for training camp.
In return, Green plans to demonstrate to each player that his accountability is a strength and that he genuinely cares about them through open communication and by establishing personal relationships. The Senators are hoping that Green’s approach will help foster a positive team culture and lead to improved on-ice performance in the upcoming season.
It is time for everyone to unite and collaborate
The Ottawa Senators have not made the playoffs in seven years, and there is understandable frustration within the organization. While new head coach Travis Green and general manager Steve Staios should be given some time to establish themselves, once that period is over, anything short of playoff contention will be unacceptable to the fans, owner Michael Andlauer, and most importantly, the players. Key players like Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot may not want to remain with the team if a lengthy rebuild is necessary. However, given the Senators’ young core and talent, a rebuild should not be required.
At this point, the Senators’ roster needs to add a couple of skilled players to upgrade the overall lineup. The team requires more physicality and a big, right-shot defenseman who is mobile enough to make strong breakout passes. Additionally, they need a middle-six, two-way veteran who can bring stability to the middle of the lineup. Options like Matt Dumba and Anthony Duclair have been discussed previously, and adding them without significant subtractions could propel the Senators to playoff contention in the 2024-25 season.
To achieve this, the Senators need to free up cap space by not re-signing certain current players, such as Erik Brannstrom or Dominik Kubalik. However, they will need to exercise finesse to land the desired players, as not everyone they want will be available through free agency. Alternatively, they could explore the trade route, but this would likely require giving up more assets than desired to acquire specific targets.
Looking Back at Green’s Career Accomplishments
Green’s Strengths as Head Coach
There are several reasons why Bruce Green would make an ideal head coach:
NHL Head Coaching Experience: Green was the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks for five years. Managing the drama in Vancouver has made him a stronger coach.
Green’s Strengths as Head Coach
There are several reasons why Bruce Green would make an ideal head coach:
1. NHL Head Coaching Experience: Green was the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks for five years. Managing the drama in Vancouver has made him a stronger coach.
2. Playoff Success: Although Green only made the playoffs once with the Canucks, he was successful in that postseason run. This suggests that with a good team in place, Green can be an effective coach.
3. Playoff Experience as a Player: As a player, Green went on deep playoff runs with strong rosters, such as the 1993 New York Islanders and the 2002 Toronto Maple Leafs. This experience likely contributes to his coaching abilities.
The main challenge for Green will be convincing the players that they are a good team and getting them to buy into his system.
Addressing the Senators’ Roster Issues
It remains to be seen whether Steve Staios will be able to make enough improvements to the Ottawa Senators’ roster to make them a playoff team for the 2024-25 season. The 2023-24 season exposed some problems with the team’s roster makeup and defensive structure, particularly in goal.
The Senators struggled to prevent early goals in periods and games, which put a lot of pressure on goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. While the players must be held accountable for their performance, the coach also needs to ensure that the team is well-prepared and has a solid defensive structure in place.
Staios’ roster moves and Green’s game plans will be crucial in addressing these issues and helping the Senators become a more competitive team in the upcoming season.
Although Green only made the playoffs once with the Canucks, he was successful in that postseason run. This suggests that with a good team in place, Green can be an effective coach.
The Ottawa Senators have decided to keep their 2024 first-round pick, deferring the forfeiture of a first-rounder as punishment for the botched Evgenii Dadonov trade until 2025 or 2026. This decision was made because the Senators projected the 2024 draft class to be stronger than 2023, which is why they traded their 2023 first-round pick to acquire Jakob Chychrun.
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is now the Senators’ top priority, as they have seven picks in the first four rounds, including two first-rounders. The seventh overall selection was recently determined by the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, where the Senators had a 44.4% chance of landing that pick.
With the Senators potentially having two first-round picks in 2024, analysts have speculated on potential options for their later first-rounder. Some players that could be targeted include Tij Iginla, son of NHL Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, and Jett Luchanko of the Guelph Storm.
The Senators will have about a month and a half to prepare for the draft after the conclusion of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The team’s scouting meetings will take place next week as they finalize their draft list.
