Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios has been on the job since November 1, 2023. He and owner Michael Andlauer had only been running the Senators for a few weeks before it became clear they didn’t like what they were seeing under Pierre Dorion. The club opened the 2023–24 season jammed up against the salary cap, so much so that they played the season opener a man short. Shane Pinto was suspended 41 games for violating the NHL’s gambling rules. Then the team was penalized a first-round draft pick for its role in the bungled Evgenii Dadonov trade to Vegas. That's a pretty tough first month, and as they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Dorion was dismissed, and Staios, also the President of Hockey Operations, became the ninth general manager in Senators history. Ottawa Senators winger Fabian Zetterlund talked at season's end about staying with the Senators. Is Carter Yakemchuk In The Ottawa Senators' NHL Plans For This Fall? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/is-carter-yakemchuk-in-the-ottawa-senators-nhl-plans-for-this-fall] Dissecting The Senators' Intriguing New Right-Shot Defensive Depth Chart [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/dissecting-the-ottawa-senators-intriguing-new-right-shot-defensive-depth-chart] Claude Giroux Reveals Why He Signed Back In Ottawa [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/veteran-senators-winger-claude-giroux-reveals-why-signed-back-in-ottawa] Staios took a patient approach, watching and evaluating his roster for eight months before making any serious changes. The only trade he made in that time was unloading winger Vladimir Tarasenko at the 2024 trade deadline for what turned out to be two third-round picks. Tarasenko’s contract was about to expire, and with his no-movement clause, he was able to broker a trade to the Florida Panthers. Staios had to take what he could get for a player who wasn’t in the team's plans. If the last two offseasons are any indication, where the Senators didn’t make a single hockey trade between July and the March deadline, things are likely to go quiet now for some cottage and golf time. Staios all but confirmed that eight days ago, saying the Senators were "most likely" done making NHL additions this summer. So we thought we’d look back at Staios’ top five trades so far as he took on this “fixer-upper.” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JUNE 24, 2024: FIXING THE GOALTENDING The Senators acquired Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins for Joonas Korpisalo, Mark Kastelic, and a 2024 first-round pick (#25). Not only did Staios manage to secure the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner, he convinced the Bruins to take on Korpisalo’s contract, which still had four years and $16 million remaining. The Senators agreed to retain $4 million of that. Unfortunately, Ullmark battled injuries throughout the season, which likely affected his overall performance, which ran hot and cold. He will begin a four-year contract this fall worth $8.25 million per season, and the Senators will need him to better next season. But in terms of value and potential impact, this stands as Staios’ best trade so far. Trade Grade: A -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MARCH 7, 2025: TRADING A CORE PIECE The Senators traded fan favourite Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker to the Buffalo Sabres for Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert, and a 2026 second-round pick. Norris was long considered a key piece of Ottawa’s future, but his repeated injuries changed that. He’s set to make $7.95 million annually for the next five years, and even when healthy, his production and impact haven’t justified that price tag in the past couple of seasons. You could make a similar case for Cozens, whose remaining deal ($7.1 million AAV) runs just as long, but he offers more durability. Both players need to return to form, but the safer bet will always be the one who isn’t constantly out with a bad shoulder. Trade Grade: A -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JUNE 28, 2025: PICKS FOR SPENCE, SENS THE RICHER The Senators acquired Jordan Spence from the Los Angeles Kings for a 2025 third-round pick (#67) and a 2026 sixth-round pick. Spence will be in the mix at training camp, competing with the right-shot incumbents, Nick Jensen, Artem Zub, and Nikolas Matinpalo, not to mention former first-rounders Carter Yakemchuk and Lassi Thomson. But any time you can get a useful NHL player for next to nothing, it’s a win. What makes this deal more impressive is that Staios acquired the #67 pick by sliding down just two spots in the draft. So, effectively, Spence cost the Sens a sixth-rounder. What his impact will be remains to be seen, but it was a slick move to help shore up depth on the right side. Trade Grade: B+ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MARCH 7, 2025: SHARK WEEK The Senators acquired Fabian Zetterlund, Tristen Robins, and a fourth-round pick from the San Jose Sharks for Zack Ostapchuk, Noah Gregor, and a 2025 second-round pick. Zetterlund is another player Staios is counting on to rebound. Two seasons ago, he led the Sharks with 24 goals and was tracking for a similar total when the trade went down. But after arriving in Ottawa, he went ice-cold with zero goals in his first 15 games. He finished with five points in 20 games and then signed a three-year deal worth $4.25 million annually. Still only 25, his underlying numbers were solid, and he created chances even if the puck didn’t go in for him. Besides, given what Ottawa gave up, it's not a huge risk. As a side bonus, if the Zamboni breaks down this winter, the muscle-bound Zetterlund can step in and carry it off the ice. That's a nice intangible. Trade Grade: B+ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JULY 1, 2024: REBALANCING ACT The Senators traded Jakob Chychrun to the Washington Capitals for Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick. By the end of the 2023–24 season, Chychrun sounded noncommittal about signing an extension with Ottawa. Even if both sides had wanted to make it work, having three puck-moving defencemen on the left side, all making north of $8 million wouldn't be ideal. Washington needed one, eventually handing Chychrun an eight-year deal worth $9 million per season. With Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot already on the left side, the Sens desperately needed a shutdown righty. Enter Jensen – he's not flashy, but he's exactly what was needed, and he also helped Chabot have one of his best seasons in years. Trade Grade: B+ There it is. Your top five Steve Staios trades so far. Let's see if they pay off this fall. *Article updated to fix an erroneous reference to the Sens giving up a third in the Jensen deal By Steve Warne The Hockey News/Ottawa [http://thn.com/ottawa] More Sens Headlines: Senators Bid Farewell To Six UFAs: Where Did They End Up? 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