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The Ottawa Senators decided to ring in the New Year with a new look in their front office.
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Since there’s no time like the present, owner Michael Andlauer wasted no time taking the interim title away and installing Steve Staios as the club’s president of hockey operations along with the title of general manager before the club faced the Buffalo Sabres Sunday at home.
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To help support Staios in his dual role, the club brought in former Toronto Maple Leafs’ executive Dave Poulin, a former NHL player and an analyst for TSN, has joined the club’s front office in a newly created role as senior VP of hockey operations.
Ryan Bowness, whose duties have been expanded since GM Pierre Dorion was fired Nov. 1, has been elevated to the role of associate GM.
This decision allows Andlauer to have the structure in place he wants to help this club get to the next level. Poulin, a highly respected former player, executive and broadcaster, along with Bowness will be able to give Staios the support he needs to make the right decisions for this team.
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Since taking over the club’s hockey operations, Staios has stated he felt the club was a little light in the front office and these moves will help set the course for what Andlauer wants to see this club achieve after he purchased the Senators in June for $950 million U.S.
This hasn’t been the year anybody expected for the Senators.
Sitting in last place in the East, Dorion was let go after the club learned it will be forced to forfeit a first-round pick in one of the next three years because of a botched trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, which involved winger Evgenii Dadonov in July 2021.
Ten days before that announcement, restricted free agent centre Shane Pinto was suspended 41 games for breaking the NHL’s gambling rules. He has been skating in Ottawa the last two weeks and is allowed to resume practicing with his teammates Jan. 11. He’s eligible to play Jan. 21.
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Just when it looked like it was settling down, coach D.J. Smith and assistant Davis Payne were fired Dec. 18 before a game in Arizona. Jacques Martin has returned behind the bench on an interim basis and former captain Daniel Alfredsson was elevated to full-time assistant.
While the club will likely search for a new coach in the off-season, the decision to put Staios in the full-time seat as GM gives the club structure and stability in its front office.
Andlauer and Poulin sat on the American Hockey League’s board of governors together. They’ve known each other for more than a decade so Andlauer made this move because he knows Poulin will be the perfect fit for this group and will work collaboratively with others.
Together, Staios, Poulin and Bowness will be able to make determinations on the route they want to take with this roster before the NHL trade deadline, which is set for March 8.
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Though the Senators were supposed to challenge for a playoff spot, and they should be better than their record, they’ve struggled with injuries to top players, shoddy goaltending and inconsistent defensive play that has resulted in costly mistakes in their own end.
The Senators aren’t nearly tough enough to play against. The indications are Staios has been trying to add a veteran forward that can play on the club’s third and fourth lines, plus be a shoulder to lean on for some of the Senators young players in tough times.
Winger Claude Giroux and defenceman Travis Hamonic both do a good job in that regard, but they can’t do it all by themselves and that’s why the Senators would like to bring in someone who can help in that regard.
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This team isn’t in the playoff picture because it just isn’t good enough. Martin and Alfredsson have worked hard to try to bring structure to this club’s game, but they have to get buy-in from the players and until that happens, they will struggle with consistency.
The Senators have been built around their core. That includes captain Brady Tkachuk along with Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris, Drake Batherson, Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson and Pinto when he returns.
But the reality is Staios, Poulin and Bowness have no history with these players. They weren’t part of the management staff that brought them in and, as a result, if they determine that big changes are necessary to get this club to the next level, they won’t be afraid to make that.
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Staios has stated several times that he believes in this core so we’re not at that point yet. But the next four or five months will be pivotal for this group to show it has what it takes to get back in the playoff race because it sure looks like the Senators will miss for the seventh straight year.
It’s fair to wonder now if Andlauer would have closed on the sale in mid-August if this structure would have been put in place back then. As they say, better late than never and it feels like this group can take this club to the next stage in its growth.
bgarrioch@postmedia.com
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The Ottawa Senators decided to ring in the New Year with a new look in their front office. Since there’s no time like the present, owner Michael Andlauer wasted no time taking the interim title away and installing Steve Staios as the club’s president of hockey operations along with the title of general manager before the club faced the Buffalo Sabres Sunday at home. To help support Staios in his dual role, the club brought in former Toronto Maple Leafs’ executive Dave Poulin, a former NHL player and an analyst for TSN, has joined the club’s front office in a newly created role as senior VP of hockey operations. Ryan Bowness, whose duties have been expanded since GM Pierre Dorion was fired Nov. 1, has been elevated to the role of associate GM. This decision allows Andlauer to have the structure in place he wants to help this club get to the next level. Poulin, a highly respected former player, executive and broadcaster, along with Bowness will be able to give Staios the support he needs to make the right decisions for this team. Since taking over the club’s hockey operations, Staios has stated he felt the club was a little light in the front office and these moves will help set the course for what Andlauer wants to see this club achieve after he purchased the Senators in June for $950 million U.S. This hasn’t been the year anybody expected for the Senators. Sitting in last place in the East, Dorion was let go after the club learned it will be forced to forfeit a first-round pick in one of the next three years because of a botched trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, which involved winger Evgenii Dadonov in July 2021. Ten days before that announcement, restricted free agent centre Shane Pinto was suspended 41 games for breaking the NHL’s gambling rules. He has been skating in Ottawa the last two weeks and is allowed to resume practicing with his teammates Jan. 11. He’s eligible to play Jan. 21. Just when it looked like it was settling down, coach D.J. Smith and assistant Davis Payne were fired Dec. 18 before a game in Arizona. Jacques Martin has returned behind the bench on an interim basis and former captain Daniel Alfredsson was elevated to full-time assistant. While the club will likely search for a new coach in the off-season, the decision to put Staios in the full-time seat as GM gives the club structure and stability in its front office. Andlauer and Poulin sat on the American Hockey League’s board of governors together. They’ve known each other for more than a decade so Andlauer made this move because he knows Poulin will be the perfect fit for this group and will work collaboratively with others. Together, Staios, Poulin and Bowness will be able to make determinations on the route they want to take with this roster before the NHL trade deadline, which is set for March 8. Though the Senators were supposed to challenge for a playoff spot, and they should be better than their record, they’ve struggled with injuries to top players, shoddy goaltending and inconsistent defensive play that has resulted in costly mistakes in their own end. The Senators aren’t nearly tough enough to play against. The indications are Staios has been trying to add a veteran forward that can play on the club’s third and fourth lines, plus be a shoulder to lean on for some of the Senators young players in tough times. Winger Claude Giroux and defenceman Travis Hamonic both do a good job in that regard, but they can’t do it all by themselves and that’s why the Senators would like to bring in someone who can help in that regard. This team isn’t in the playoff picture because it just isn’t good enough. Martin and Alfredsson have worked hard to try to bring structure to this club’s game, but they have to get buy-in from the players and until that happens, they will struggle with consistency. The Senators have been built around their core. That includes captain Brady Tkachuk along with Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris, Drake Batherson, Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson and Pinto when he returns. But the reality is Staios, Poulin and Bowness have no history with these players. They weren’t part of the management staff that brought them in and, as a result, if they determine that big changes are necessary to get this club to the next level, they won’t be afraid to make that. Staios has stated several times that he believes in this core so we’re not at that point yet. But the next four or five months will be pivotal for this group to show it has what it takes to get back in the playoff race because it sure looks like the Senators will miss for the seventh straight year. It’s fair to wonder now if Andlauer would have closed on the sale in mid-August if this structure would have been put in place back then. As they say, better late than never and it feels like this group can take this club to the next stage in its growth.
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