Yesterday morning, Steve Staios was officially named the Preisdent of Hockey Operations for the Ottawa Senators, leaving the Edmonton Oilers. The move comes after months of speculation which started after Michael Andlauer was named the preferred proponent in the Senators’ sale process by the Melnyk estate.
In a statement this morning, Jeff Jackson announced Staios’ departure from the Oilers. Staios ended up spending just under a year with the club.
Summer speculations turned out to be true
Earlier in the summer, speculation came about that Staios had already left the Oilers after he was removed from the team’s Front Office listing and was subsequently not on the staff listing when training camp opened this fall. However, a mere nine days ago, GM Ken Holland stated that the former Oilers defenceman had a family issue that he had been dealing with but remained employed by the Oilers.
Ultimately, Staios’ previous experience with Andlauer during his time with the Hamilton Bulldogs, where they won an OHL championship together, gave him enough credibility with the new Sens’ owner to get the top hockey job in the organization.
Despite previous reports that he was in line to be the Oilers’ future GM at the end of Holland’s contract, with Jackson now in the fold, it appears plans changed. The Oilers could have changed their mind, or might have been simply unwilling to make a full commitment at this point while the Senators were.
It’s unclear exactly what Staios’ influence was during his tenure with the club, although reports suggest one of his responsibilities was to scout the OHL for the Oilers. Early returns look favourable, as second-round pick, Beau Akey from the Barrie Colts, showed extremely well in rookie camp and the lone preseason game that he played in.
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