With the news that the Ottawa Senators have been sold to Michael Andlauer for around $950 million, the theatrics in Ottawa might be over, but this news could signal new drama just beginning in Edmonton where Andlauer’s connection to a current Oilers executive could change the organization’s succession plan when it comes to their general manager position.
As per a tweet by TSN’s Tom Gazzola, “I discussed on The Oil Stream over the past couple of weeks, Michael Andlauer buying the Sens could change how the Oilers have to handle their succession plan for GM. Steve Staios & Andlauer were together with the Hamilton Bulldogs. Staios could jump to OTT.”
If Staios jumps, that could put a wrinkle into the Oilers’ plans to eventually name him as the team’s next GM, taking over for Ken Holland who is in the final year of his current contract. Holland spoke about his future in the post-season media avail and said he was committed to being the GM of the team next season but also hinted that he’d be giving Staios more responsibility and perhaps teased he’d be grooming him for an eventual takeover when Holland chooses to spend more time with his family.
Clearly, if Ottawa’s new owner comes in and scoops Staios away, that changes things.
There’s Still Some Time
Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun writes, “League sources say this deal may not close until September. Lots of work to be done to paper this one. Andlauer has to sell his share in the Habs as well.” Darren Dreger of TSN then retweeted that Twitter post and added, “For this reason, I believe it’s unlikely we see any significant changes to Hockey Operations until Andlauer has full control later this summer. Maybe he wants to get to know the current staff? As for Staios, he’s currently participating in scouting meetings with the Oilers.”
At the same time, the Sens have a GM. Pierre Dorion is still running the show there and while speculation exists that a new ownership group might want change, there have been no reports of Dorion being removed or stepping down.
So, while a decision doesn’t need to be made before the NHL Draft or free agency, where Staios may have a large hand in what happens, there is a bit of concern here. In other words, this isn’t something the Oilers should be worried about right now but it is something they’ll probably need to address.
How Much Do the Oilers Value Staois?
Timeline aside, putting Staios in a position to become the next general manager, only to see him leave for the Senators is not ideal. If there’s any concern that the Senators might see him as their guy and the Oilers are prepping him to take over, he’s simply getting real-world experience in the NHL with a team he’s got no future with. It might be wise for the Oilers to have a conversation and say, ‘Hey, this is your job to lose. Don’t make us think you’re not all in.’ Holland may want to add, ‘I want the best for you and our organization, but don’t jeopardize taking over for me and running a Stanley Cup contender when we’re this far from the finish line.’
This is, of course, if the Oilers feel Staios is the guy. He’s not got NHL general manager experience, so it might make sense for the Oilers to weigh their options. To Holland, this season might have been a test run or more of a training program with no guarantee at the end of it. Perhaps, while they are open to it, the Oilers don’t really love the idea of a rookie GM. Maybe Staios needs to prove himself first and it would make sense if the Oilers don’t want to rush his training, only to compete with another team to give him a job that plenty of NHL executives would want.
Conversely, maybe the Oilers want to groom their own guy and find that vital in replacing Holland. If there’s not an ideal candidate out there that has previous experience, Staios can be molded and that may be the organization’s priority.
At the end of the day, unless the Oilers want to ensure that Staios isn’t wooed by Ottawa, it might mean pushing up the decision on the GM job in Edmonton. Time will tell if the team is comfortable doing so.
