The Stanley Cup has been raised in Florida which is ultimately the least objectionable of the possible outcomes. Limit the number of new fans that get to experience joy before I do. It’s not complicated.
And that means that this fancy J.P. Wiser’s Stanley Cup bottle that was sent my way during the playoffs and that is supposed to let fans raise the cup while cheering on their team will officially be on ice for a little while longer.
Ain’t touching it till the Sens get their turn.
And so our collective attention turns to what is one of the busiest weeks of the NHL off season. For some teams anyway.
Steve Staios made an appearance on TSN1200 this morning and as you might expect, didn’t share a whole lot of specifics about what he might have on the go heading into the Draft and Free Agency. Although generally speaking, it did sound pretty quiet for Steady Steve these days.
On Claude Giroux – “I don’t have anything to report”. Dialogue continues on a contract but Staios really ducked the idea of getting into specifics. He did repeat the part about loving Claude Giroux though. Me too, Steve. Still not even a little bit worried here.
On free agents generally and maybe some of the other UFAs – “Dialogue with all of them”. This felt more like a general response rather than a reference to a specific player. He did say “we don’t have nearly as much to look at” when compared to last off season and seemed to suggest he doesn’t see any urgent areas of need with the current roster. “I don’t want to force anything on to this group”.
On the Zetterlund contract – “My belief is that with a full summer he can certainly settle in”. Staios talked a lot about the benefit of being a little more settled with the team and why they were thrilled to lock him in for a few more years.
On Lassi Thomson – “My view on this is these young talented players sometimes take time”. Staios had lots of good things to say about Thomson and about the possibility of him finding a role with the organization. On a related note, I wonder if it’s too late for me to pursue a career as a right shot defenceman.
On Nick Jensen – “Nick is a man of few words”. Steady Steve would know. For what it’s worth, Staios seemed optimistic about Jensen’s health generally but he did use the term “cautiously optimistic” about his status heading into next season.
On the decision to keep the first round pick this year – “There was long discussion on it.” Staios alluded to the possibility that there may be a chance of having that punishment walked back a little bit which I have to assume was the main reason for the decision.
On the Draft – Staios talked about the idea of a trade back scenario in the first round, while downplaying the possibility of moving up. Really does sound like they have given this scenario a lot of thought. Don’t be surprised if the Sens move back.
On Cap Management – “Cap space is a huge advantage as head into the season and as we look at other opportunities”. This was in reference to Andlauer’s comment about not being a cap team and the answer really focused on the idea of having that flex so you can add during the season.
