The Ottawa Senators took a step of sorts last season.
They met a similar fate in the playoffs but in terms of style of play and consistency over the course of the year, it felt like there was some legitimate progress from this group. Still a ways to go but the ship was pointed in the right direction.
Now, all eyes are on Steve Staios as he tries to steer this team towards contender status.
They’ve hit some choppy waters so far this summer.
Trady Tkachuk is gone and has been replaced with William Eklund. A fella named Andre Burakovsky is here for some reason. A tall Swedish goalie by the name of Samuel Ersson might be here eventually. And that’s about it.
There’s some work to do.
Yesterday, the Senators took care of one of their own, extending Nick Cousins for two more seasons. Cousins is an important part of the leadership group and can be counted on in the bottom six. He’ll earn a shade under $1.6 mil over the two years.
Meanwhile another UFA-to-be is talking about testing the market today. Late yesterday, Claude Giroux suggested that he plans to hit the open market later today although he remains extremely open to an Ottawa return. I would be shocked to see Giroux anywhere other than Ottawa at this stage of his career although I worry that if they get the chance later today, Montreal may make the decision tricky for him.
We’ll see what Steve Staios has in store as the free agent market opens later today.
As always, remain buckled.