Staios: Senators don't have any 'glaring' needs on roster
Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios said his team doesn't have any major weaknesses despite approaching the quarter mark of the season with a losing record.
"At this point in time, there really isn't anything glaring to me with this group," the GM told TSN 1200 on Wednesday.
The Senators entered Wednesday sitting fifth in the Atlantic Division at 8-9-1. However, they're just two points behind the fourth-place Boston Bruins (who fired head coach Jim Montgomery on Tuesday), and they've beaten that club as well as the superior Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning in 2024-25.
"I think internally, with the group that we have ... we've proven that we can play in those types of games and be successful," Staios said. "But at the same time, you're always looking for opportunities (to improve)."
The GM acknowledged that there's still room for growth but expressed confidence that the Senators will get there.
"It's still very tight, and as much as we think that we want to be a better team, we want to have better results ... we're still in a position where we can accomplish our goals," he said.
Staios admitted the Senators' defensive play is the area that's been most concerning, but he credited the coaching staff for addressing it.
Ottawa came into Wednesday's slate tied for the third-fewest expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five (2.12), according to Natural Stat Trick. The Sens also ranked fourth in the NHL in expected goals for percentage (53.77) in the same situations.
However, the goaltending hasn't exactly been stellar. Ottawa's .881 team save percentage was the sixth-worst in the league entering Wednesday. Linus Ullmark is at .884 with four wins in 10 starts and 11 appearances. Anton Forsberg has a .903 mark with three victories in eight games, all of which he's started. Mads Sogaard allowed four goals on 17 shots (.765) while earning a win in relief on Oct. 14.
The team will host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday in the second tilt of a four-game homestand that concludes against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday and versus the Calgary Flames on Monday.