Is General Manager Steve Staios preparing to make a splash, or just doing his due diligence? A recent sighting in Montreal has the rumor mill spinning.
The Ottawa Senators are currently walking a tightrope. Sitting last in the Atlantic Division yet tantalizingly close—just six points back—of the second Wild Card spot, the next two weeks will define their season. But it was a sighting on Monday night at the Bell Centre that has ignited a new wave of speculation. Senators GM Steve Staios was in attendance to watch the Montreal Canadiens host the Vancouver Canucks, and insiders are connecting the dots to one specific name: Kiefer Sherwood.
TSN Insider Darren Dreger noted the timing, suggesting that Staios wasn’t just there to enjoy a hockey game. With the Canucks making it known in November that they are willing to deal pending unrestricted free agents, and Sherwood currently sidelined with a minor injury, the groundwork for a deal could be forming right now.
The “Staios Evaluation” Window
Steve Staios is methodical. He isn’t the type of GM to make a panic trade, but he is looking for players who fit a specific mold. Dreger reports that Staios is using the next seven to 10 games to gauge exactly how aggressive he should be leading up to the March 6 deadline.
If the Senators can claw their way closer to a playoff spot in that window, expect Staios to shift from “evaluator” to “buyer.” And this is where Kiefer Sherwood becomes a fascinating target.
Why Kiefer Sherwood Fits the Senators’ Identity
As an analyst, I look at the Senators’ roster construction and see a glaring need for effective, “heavy” hockey in the middle six. The Senators have high-end skill, but they sometimes lack the relentless motor required to grind out wins in April and May.
Sherwood is currently having a career year. With 17 goals and 23 points in 44 games, he isn’t just a grinder; he is providing legitimate secondary scoring. He plays the game fast, physical, and direct. He is exactly the type of “identity player” that thrives alongside a captain like Brady Tkachuk.
Furthermore, the financials make sense. Sherwood is in the final year of a $1.5 million AAV deal. He is a low-risk, high-reward acquisition. If the Senators acquire him, they get a motivated player fighting for his next contract. If Ottawa falls out of the race, he was a rental. If they make it, he is the perfect playoff warrior.
While Sherwood missed the game Staios attended due to an undisclosed injury, make no mistake: Staios knows what Sherwood brings. The GM’s presence likely signals a chat with Canucks GM Patrik Allvin to discuss the price tag. The fit is obvious; the only question remains whether the Senators can win enough games in the next two weeks to justify the purchase.
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