The Ottawa Senators’ President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Steve Staios held his mid-season update on Sunday, during which he provided the media with updates on team health, progress, and future plans. Staios started off with his assessment of the Senators’ team coming into the half-way point of the season.
“At the end of last year, going into this year, I challenged the group on internal growth from our individuals and as a team,” Staios noted. “I think we’ve seen a level of that for sure. I’m pleased with the commitment of two-way hockey from our group, especially on the defensive side of things. They’re a coachable group. There’s a lot of character in that room and they want to get better. That’s part of the growth for this team: they’re willing to be coached and work on those daily habits.”
Staios’ confidence in the depth of his Senators’ team was clear, as the GM affirmed that injuries to the team do not necessarily mean a depletion of available talent.
“I could go and explore bringing in a defenceman and then we wouldn’t be able to see what Nick Matinpalo could do,” spoke Staios when asked about shopping the trade market for a defenceman.
Matinpalo, 26, has skated in five games with the Senators this season. He was most recently recalled on January 7 after defenceman Travis Hamonic was sidelined with an injury. Since joining the team, he has shown himself to be a steady and reliable presence on the back end.
“I think we can all see that there’s potential there. We have players internally that are developing through our system in Belleville that are getting a look right now,” continued Staios. “We’ve had players come up and play higher in the line up and thrust into some situations, and they’ve handled them pretty well.”
“They’re all progressing,” Staios said when asked for an update on injured players Linus Ullmark, David Perron and Michael Amadio. “We’ve taken a step in the right direction with all of the work we’ve put in on that side with the strength and conditioning and the medical. We’ll continue to grow in that area as well.”
This past summer, the Senators performed major updates and upgrades to the team’s gym and training spaces.