In this edition of the Ottawa Senators News & Rumors, we look at what Steve Staios had to say to the media in a recent press conference, updates on the current status of Josh Norris‘ injury, Linus Ullmark contract updates, the Senators partnering with Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) star Brooke Henderson, and more.
Staios Confident in Offseason Moves
In his first offseason as an NHL general manager, Staios had his work cut out for him in an effort to clean up the mess of an organization the Senators were in. There were a lot of different roster pieces to move out and bring in, some mistakes to be fixed, and the biggest factor of all, creating an identity.
Through the signings of David Perron and Nick Cousins, Staios has built a team that has skill, but also an abundance of players that nobody likes playing against.
When meeting with the media, Staios stated that he believes in the core group of players, which consists of Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux, Jake Sanderson, and Thomas Chabot. He stated that his goal was to surround the young core with players who were experienced, and players who have won. With the signings of Cousins, Perron, and Michael Amadio, he brought in three Stanley Cup champions, and they all bring strong value to their projected role.
Staios added that he believes there was a great amount of internal growth among the players, and he expects that this team will be competitive in every game and throughout the season. After seven straight seasons without playoffs, this team and roster can’t afford to not be competitive again. Staios has things moving in the right direction.
Josh Norris’ Recovery Ahead of Schedule
In addition to talking about the roster, Staios confirmed that Norris was ahead of schedule in his shoulder rehab after his third shoulder surgery on the same arm in his young career.
Happy to say he’s ahead of where he was last year at this point in time. It’s not fair to put a timeline on Josh. He’s done everything in his power to get himself prepared for the season. It’s all moving in a positive direction.
Steve Staios on Josh Norris’ health
It is great news to hear that Norris is still motivated and working hard to recover from the surgery. A healthy, well-playing Josh Norris changes the entire dynamic of the team, and creates a ton more depth in the lineup. While his 35-goal season may be tough to get back to, people often forget that Norris was a strong two-way presence at the top of his game a few seasons ago as well.
With the emergence of Shane Pinto as a second-line-caliber center, it helps ease the loss of Norris in the lineup, but without a doubt, the team is better with a healthy Norris in the lineup.
Staios Says Ullmark Contract Isn’t Coming Yet
One of the final things said by Staios in the press conference was that in regards to Ullmark’s contract, he wants the star goaltender to be comfortable in Ottawa and settled in with his family before beginning negotiations.
Ullmark came to the stage after Staios, and talked about his experience in Ottawa so far, and his expectations moving forward.
The first thing Ullmark commented on was how much he enjoys the calmness of the city in comparison to Boston. He mentioned how he doesn’t hear sirens all night keeping him up, and he and his family, including his dog, are starting to settle in nicely. He is looking forward to reconnecting with goaltender Anton Forsberg as the two played together in the Swedish Hockey League in the 2013-14 season for MoDo Hockey. They both had fantastic seasons there, and hope to replicate it in Ottawa.
In addition to his experiences so far, Ullmark said that his expectations for this season were high, and rightfully so. After hearing how Staios feels about the team and the expectations, having Ullmark, who is without a doubt one of the three most valuable members of the team already, talk about high expectations was promising.
He added that creating a winning culture is crucial, and over the seven-year rebuild, the Senators haven’t even had a taste of a winning culture. Part of what Ullmark values is being carefree and having his family comfortable. Him stating this made some wonder if a contract extension falls under the “carefree” realm, but he didn’t comment on the state of negotiations.
Senators Partner With LPGA Star Brooke Henderson
At the tail end of the conference, it was announced that there is now a partnership between the Senators and Brooke Henderson and her caddy and sister, Brittany Henderson. The agreement between the two is that for one day of each tournament, Henderson will wear Senators-themed colors, as well as having the towels and water bottles sporting the Senators logo.
Henderson has won multiple tournaments in her career thus far, including a Women’s PGA Championship in 2016 and The Evian Championship in 2020. She has been ranked as a top-20 women’s golfer for 10 straight years according to the Women’s World Golf Rankings, including top-10 ranking six times.
The Smith Falls, Ontario, native has built quite an impressive resume, and most recently added a Key To The City award for Ottawa in 2022.
The season is getting closer to kicking off, and with rookie games, preseason, and training camp just around the corner, news and rumors will continue to come.
