Steve Staios has spent his time in Ottawa building with patience, and that approach is still defining the Senators’ path heading into the 2026 offseason.
For a small-market team like the Senators, the formula is pretty clear in the source reporting: stay competitive, keep generating money for ownership, and create the financial room to spend to the salary cap in the years ahead. That’s the logic behind Staios’ tenure so far, and it explains why the organization has focused so heavily on constructing a team that can get into the playoffs right away while also setting itself up for the long haul.
The postseason matters here for reasons that go well beyond bragging rights. Each home playoff game brings in about $2M USD in revenue, and the extra minimum $4M from this year carries real weight for what Ottawa can do next season.
The Senators have played five playoff home games over the last two years, which has produced at least $10M in funds. On top of that, player salaries are lower in the playoffs and the stipend rises with each round, creating even more profit for the organization.
That becomes especially important with the NHL salary cap climbing and operating costs rising. As the source notes, $1 million USD is roughly $1.4M CAD today.
Forbes has also tracked profitability under Michael Andlauer. In 2023-2024, his first year, the organization made $4M USD before taxes.
In 2024-2025, that number jumped to $21M. Using that second year as the example, three playoff games accounted for about 40% of the earnings.
Staios’ broader vision has been about more than short-term success. The goal is to draft and develop, then supplement the roster with younger, lower-cost players like Jordan Spence so the team can build depth without leaning too heavily on aging UFAs every summer, which was the pattern in the first two years of the rebuild.
That shift has already started to show up with the promotion of Stephen Halliday and the decision not to re-sign Lars Eller this summer. The idea is simple: fill some needs from within, preserve assets, and keep flexibility for trades that address bigger holes.
The source gives Staios a strong grade for asset management early in his run, and the results back that up with playoff appearances in each of the last two years. The one clear miss was his read on Leevi Meriläinen’s readiness to be a full-time backup. Staios acknowledged that himself this summer, saying he’s not a goalie expert and will lean more on Justin Peters and Maciej Szwoch for guidance going forward.
Even so, the trade record has been clean. None of the deals Staios has made have hurt the team; they’ve either helped Ottawa or kept the roster stable.
That matters because bad contracts can snowball fast, clogging cap space, blocking roster spots, and creating problems that linger for years. Ottawa, according to the source, is now in a position to make a meaningful trade because it isn’t carrying those kinds of handcuffs.
There’s also a belief here that the Senators are acting from strength, not panic, even if some around the media are framing things differently because of the loss of Brady Tkachuk. The source points to the trade for William Eklund and two prospects using the ninth-overall pick as a major win in a weaker draft year. Eklund is viewed as a better fit with Tim Stützle because he creates and finishes rush chances more effectively.
That same discipline showed up again when Ottawa used the 25th overall pick, acquired in the Tkachuk trade, instead of throwing first-rounders around just to force a move. The source argues that’s the smarter path, especially after the asset losses in the Alex DeBrincat and Jakob Chychrun trades left the Senators’ depth thinner than it should have been. Passing on a bad trade can matter more than chasing a risky one.
That’s also why the low-cost swings on André Burakovsky and Samuel Ersson are presented as worthwhile. The price in assets was minimal, and there’s upside if both can deliver more in Travis Green’s defensive system.
A big part of that equation is coaching and buy-in, and the source says both players sounded receptive in their interviews on the Senators’ website. That kind of alignment matters, and Jordan Spence is held up as the example - a rough beginning, then a strong finish.
The through line is patience. Staios is being credited with not forcing the issue, not overreacting to outside noise, and not treating every move like a must-win gamble. The source’s final takeaway is that his steady, big-picture approach is exactly what Ottawa needs if it wants to become a contender for years to come.
In Other News...
Steve Staios Just Raised One More Big Senators Roster Question
Steve Staios is sounding increasingly comfortable with the Senators forward group even after the trade that sent captain Brady Tkachuk out of the picture. The general manager pointed to the depth already in the organization, and to names such as Warren Foegele and Fabian Zetterlund as players who can be pushed higher in the lineup if needed. He also highlighted a wave of additions that includes William Eklund, Andre Burakovsky, Claude Giroux, Nick Cousins and Stephen Halliday, which gives Ottawa a much different look than it had before the offseason shuffle.
Still, the roster does not appear to be locked in. Staios said the Senators have cap space and flexibility to keep exploring options before the season begins, which leaves the door open for one more move if the right fit comes along. For a team trying to replace a major presence while keeping enough scoring depth around its core, that kind of wiggle room matters, and it suggests Ottawa is not done shaping the group it plans to ice in October. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Face Their Biggest Identity Test After Losing Brady Tkachuk
Brady Tkachuks departure has left Ottawa with a far different look, and Pierre McGuire sees the next phase as less about replacing one captains personality than proving the Senators can keep their footing as a team. The roster has been reshaped with William Eklund and Andre Burakovsky coming in, while Claude Giroux and Nick Cousins remain part of the mix, giving Ottawa a blend of youth, skill and experience as it tries to stay in the playoff conversation.
McGuires bigger point is that the Senators margin for error in the Atlantic Division is going to come from structure, coaching and special teams, not just talent. Ottawa already has a defensive identity it can lean on, but it will need the power play to be sharp and the bench to keep the group organized if this new version of the team is going to hold up over time. [Read more 🡒]