General manager discusses training camp and roster decisions
Amidst the background noise of pucks slamming against the glass, sticks tapping, and whistles blowing, excitement was palpable at the Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday morning.
The Ottawa Senators, coming off their first playoff berth since 2017, held their final practice at home before flying to Tampa Bay for their season opener against the Lightning at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Senators general manager and president of hockey operations Steve Staios spoke to the media as practice got underway, reflecting on training camp, roster decisions, and the steady progress of the young group he’s helped assemble.
On finding a home for Carter Yakemchuk
After Travis Green described Carter Yakemchuk’s training camp as “good,” the 20-year-old defenceman was part of the team’s final roster cuts for the second season in a row and will start the season in Belleville.
“He’s taken a big step forward in the right direction,” said Staios. “We were very pleased with, certainly his off-ice conditioning and strength as a young player. He took a big step in the right direction, and his game is really starting to round into form.”
However, the Senators already had a crowded blueline group entering camp — namely, Thomas Chabot, Nick Jensen, Artem Zub, Jake Sanderson, Tyler Kleven, Jordan Spence, and Nicolas Matinpalo. 23-year-old Donovan Sebrango won the final spot with a strong preseason and training camp, and 50 games with Belleville last season.
“If [those circumstances] were different, could he come up to play?” pondered Staios. “Yes, I do believe that. [I’m] always mindful of these young players, these high-end, talented players, [with] what is the right timing… we feel comfortable with him being in Belleville, to continue to grow his game.”
While last season, Yakemchuk was playing out his eligibility in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen and couldn’t be called up during the season, he’s now just an arm’s length away for Staios and Green should they need some reinforcements.
On Donovan Sebrango making his first opening night roster
Acquired by the Senators in the July 2023 trade that sent Alex DeBrincat to Detroit, Donovan Sebrango had his best pro season in 2024-25, scoring eight goals and adding 12 assists with Belleville. He got his first taste of NHL action in January, playing two games for the Sens.
Now, the left-shot defenceman is set to make his first-ever opening night roster. “He’s continued to evolve as a player,” said Staios, adding that he watched him closely in junior and feels that Sebrango is “starting to scratch the surface” on showing his ability at the pro level.
“His skating’s taken another step in the right direction… [he’s a] fully committed player, obviously brings an element of toughness to our team as well; competitive and continues to get better.”
On a “slow build” around the core
Staios responded to the notion that the team didn’t make many changes this offseason by countering with the roster changes made by the Sens over the past two-and-a-half seasons.
Indeed, only Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, Drake Batherson, Claude Giroux, Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, Shane Pinto, and Artem Zub remain from November 2023, when Staios was appointed.
“It’s been a slow build with this group, in and around the core,” he added. “The internal growth we’ve talked about — I promised I wasn’t going to use that word, but I did. Certainly, there’s room for our players to get better. And again, not just our core group of players, but also any returning player that’s coming back.”
On Kurtis MacDermid and team toughness
“I’ve been in the market for a player like this for a while,” said Staios about newly-acquired Kurtis MacDermid. He added that the 31-year-old defenceman-turned-winger provides an element of toughness for the Sens and “confidence” for the team.
“For me, I’ve never questioned the courage of our group or our team toughness,” said Staios. “I think it’s wrong to do that, I think we’re a tough team, I think we’re hard to play against. Are they learning in that regard? That’s a growth phase for our group as well, to be able to manage those situations. But I would never question the courage of our group, ever.”
He added that the addition of MacDermid “takes pressure off of all our players.”
On the team’s training camp and preseason performance
Staios described preseason as a “moving target” every year, with a large number of players to get in the lineup. “I think overall, I’m pleased with our training camp,” added Staios.
“I think it was very well noted that our players came in in great shape, and they’re a motivated group… younger guys, older guys, they all took it upon themselves to improve in the offseason, improve their game, and improve their fitness, so that’s always a good sign.”
Staios describes the depth that was sent down to Belleville as “different” from previous years. “Certainly, I think there was a great competition right to the last day of camp,” he added.
“And that’s what you want to see. The players that are in Belleville certainly put their best foot forward, and [gave] confidence to not only myself, but also Travis, to be able to feel confident bringing them up and playing in games.”
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