KANATA, Ont. — Steve Staios has seen what the rest of us have observed over the past handful of games by the Ottawa Senators.
A level of play and commitment that the new general manager had been hoping to see all along.
If it continues, how will that impact Ottawa’s position at the trade deadline?
Staios didn’t commit, exactly, but he’s hoping the trend continues so that when he is assessing his roster he is viewing it from a position of strength, not weakness. And he is looking to add experience to the Senators’ roster, to boost the young core of talent.
“I think the long-term vision is extremely important to keep an eye on here with our group,” said Staios, in a mid-season, state-of-the-union session with Ottawa media Thursday.
“You can’t have enough leadership and experience — and that’s certainly an area I’d like to look at.
“I think we’re looking at complete players, as well. You know, 200-foot players. The market will dictate if there’s an opportunity at the deadline — if not we will continue to work on it. Maybe there’s an opportunity in the off-season.”
Staios said he likes the idea of complementing his young core with veterans who have “been through some of those battles and can look them in the eye and during those times during the game to be able to help them out with that.”
Unlike in past seasons, where management was forever in search of a “Top-4 defenceman,” Staios is looking at upgrades in all areas of the lineup, if they are available.
While Staios didn’t tip his hand about whether or not he would consider moving one of his core pieces, he did say he can do a better job of evaluating what he has now that the group is playing better.
“I don’t think it was fair for me to give a full evaluation on this team until they started to have some stability in their play,” Staios said. “Now we’re getting a sense of what this team is all about.”
Chychrun vs. Chabot
Speaking of top four D-men, Staios was asked if it’s realistic to keep both of his veteran left-shot defencemen, Jakob Chychrun and Thomas Chabot.
Staios began answering a question on Chychrun by saying how disappointed he was that the defenceman’s name had surfaced in trade rumours.
“I guess it’s part of the game, but he’s a great player for us. He’s a great young man and he loves Ottawa, so he’s going to have to deal with those types of (rumours) being out there,” Staios said.
Staios added that while the Senators have three top-four guys who shoot left, Chychrun is able to play the right side, so he didn’t believe that was an issue.
However, when asked about fitting in the likes of Jake Sanderson, Chabot and Chychrun in the team’s salary cap and team budget for the future, Staios admitted it might not all work.
“Those are all really good questions,” Staios said. “Jakob’s obviously an elite defenceman. He’s a year and a half away from being a free agent. Is there a way for us to fit it in? Sure. There’s always ways to be able to manage the cap to make sure you’re compliant. So, we’ll continue to look at that… I think time will tell.”
The way that Staios paused to emphasize the word, “sure,” as far as making it all fit, made it seem just as likely that a choice might have to be made down the road between Chychrun and Chabot. Because having three expensive left-shot D long term could be limiting as far as the rest of the roster is concerned.
While everyone assumes the Senators will part with pending unrestricted free agent forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Dominik Kubalik at the deadline, Staios said he has not had any conversations with Tarasenko about lifting his no-trade clause.
“Obviously he’s aware of where we are in the standings and in becoming an unrestricted free agent,” Staios said. “It’s certainly something that, you know, we’ll continue to take a look at.”
The GM went on to praise Tarasenko for his level of play “on both sides of the puck,” despite being considered an offensive player.
“You see the offence in his game, but he’s much more well-rounded than I expected, watching him on a day-to-day basis,” Staios said. “I’ve been really impressed.”
After Patrick Roy was brought in to coach the New York Islanders, Senators owner Michael Andlauer went on Gatineau radio this week and admitted to a bit of “regret” that the timing was not right for Roy to be a coaching candidate in Ottawa. Andlauer, of course, has links to the great former Canadiens goaltender because Andlauer was a minority ownership partner in Montreal for many years.
Staios agrees that “timing” is a factor as the team shifts from this interim staff to the next full-time coach and staff.
“I think timing has a lot to do with why we have Jacques Martin and Daniel Alfredsson,” coaching at the moment, Staios said.
With Martin just now getting some traction, Staios sees the interim staff as “laying down the foundation” for this team to reach the next level. While the GM didn’t get into the details of what characteristics he is looking for in his next coach, he says he has a picture in his mind of the type of coach he’s seeking. And it won’t be a one man show.
“I think the balance with the coaching staff, the experience, the personalities, their background in each area is going to be hugely important,” Staios said. “It’s no different from putting a roster together.”
Asked if Martin will finish out the season behind the bench, Staios said “that’s the plan.”
He added that while he didn’t see any situation that might alter that, he acknowledged circumstances arose that caused him to change the goaltender coach.
Staios admitted he did not expect his team to have a record of 18-24-1. But he is encouraged by what he has seen over the past five games under Martin’s direction.
“I think that you see the commitment from the group,” Staios said. “I think you see the discipline. I think you see the details starting to come into our game and that’s really what I’ve been waiting for.”
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
