Staios: No Rush on the "C"
Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios says the team has plenty of options as it works through one of the biggest offseason questions facing the club: who wears the captain's letter next season.
"We have a number of players who can be our next captain," Staios said. Asked about a timeline, he made clear the front office isn't looking to move quickly. "We'll continue to discuss it. I don't think that's anything that we want to rush into." Staios said fit matters more than speed. "You're trying to look for the right fit for everything at the right time."
The comments came Tuesday at Rideau View Golf Club in Manotick, where the Senators gathered for a team function supporting the Senators Community Foundation.
Why the Captaincy Is Open
Ottawa has been without a captain since Brady Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers, where he joined his brother Matthew. The trade brought Ottawa four draft picks in return, including three first-round selections (two in 2026, one in 2029) and a 2027 second-round pick, a haul the Senators are still building their roster around.
Reports have narrowed the field to three names: centre Tim Stützle, and defencemen Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson.
Stützle, for his part, sounds ready to leave the speculation behind. "We're done talking about this now. We want to move on," he said, signalling he'd rather let his play do the talking as camp approaches.
Chabot was more open about what the "C" would mean to him heading into a milestone season in Ottawa. "It'd be a huge honour, for sure," he said, adding: "This is going to be my 10th season here in Ottawa. It feels like home."
Coach Green Backs the Slow Approach
Head coach Travis Green echoed his GM's caution on the timeline. "It's not something that we take lightly. It's an important decision that we're going to make," Green said, adding the club is "definitely not in a rush to make some kind of announcement."
What's Next
The Senators open training camp on September 16, giving Staios, Green and the rest of the staff their first extended look at the leadership candidates on the ice together.
Whoever eventually gets the nod inherits a dressing room reshaped by one of the bigger trades in recent franchise history, and a core the Senators clearly believe has more than one player capable of leading it.
Sources: The Hockey News, Yahoo Sports Canada, Yahoo Sports, Pro Hockey Rumors
