3. Is there finally enough off-ice stability to keep the focus on the on-ice product?
There should be, especially with the organizational changes that the senators have undergone.
Michael Andlauer, who officially bought the team last September, made a decisive move by appointing Steve Staios as general manager last season. Under Staios, Ottawa then hired Travis Green as coach; he has a 141-159-35 record with the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils and is known for his ability to develop young players.
Green, who was hired May 8, said he came away from the interview process impressed with Andlauer and the organization’s hierarchy.
“You have to look at management. Where is the management in relation to the coach, to the ownership? Is there collaboration at that level?”
The answer, at least in his mind, was a resounding yes.
“I was blown away throughout this whole process,” Green said.
With Andlauer finally settling the uncertain ownership issue that had lingered since the death of former owner Eugene Melnyk on March 28, 2022, the focus can now shift from the boardroom to the ice.
