Ottawa Senators president and general manager Steve Staios. Photo by Jean Levac /Postmedia

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Steve Staios has a blueprint for success for the Ottawa Senators.

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The Senators’ president of hockey operations and general manager took this job knowing there would be twists or turns or even a few unexpected u-turns along the road to try to win a Stanley Cup.

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The National Hockey League is often viewed as a copycat league and though Staios may not be able to build a carbon copy of the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, he wouldn’t mind if his roster under coach Travis Green and his staff could emulate the way they play.

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Samuel Ersson was acquired by the Senators from the Maple Leafs on June 26, 2026, for a fifth-round pick. Photo by Gregory Shamus /Getty Images

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The Senators battened down the hatches defensively in the second half of last season to make the playoffs, and Staios is confident with the changes made thus far, that Ottawa will be strong at both ends of the ice.

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“We played them in the first round, and I know we didn’t get a win in that series, and there were a number of factors to that, but I see some similarities, I do,” Staios said of the Hurricanes after the NHL draft wrapped up on Saturday.

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“They’ve done a phenomenal job there, like, right, right, right, through on their identity and how they play, and the way they’ve built that, so they’re certainly a very good team to look at.”

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Staios is trying to build a team with an identity. The Hurricanes are successful because they play the same way every shift with their relentless style.

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“I feel like we have that identity to a certain degree as well, and can we continue to build off of that?” Staios said. “We’ve continued to get better as a team. The way Travis has coached this group, the players that we’ve brought in, they’re all bought in, and they’re a hungry and committed group, and we’re going to continue to take those steps.”

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On that point, Staios is correct. It’s not like he’s made wholesale changes to this group since the season ended. He was forced to deal with Tkachuk because he asked for a trade and got the best return he could under the circumstances.

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Andre Burakovsky is seen hoisting the Stanley Cup while with for the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. Photo by Bruce Bennett /Getty Images

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He also feels that if the Senators can continue to grow, perhaps the newly acquired Burakovsky can find his game in Ottawa. Staios said they did a lot of homework on the player, and in the end, they clearly felt it was a gamble worth taking because he also has two Cup rings.

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Ersson, who had a tough time in Philly, is tabbed to be the backup, but being in the Flyers’ net is one of the most unenviable jobs in the NHL and the fresh start could be helpful.

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Most of the group remains in place with Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Shane Pinto, Ridly Greig, Drake Batherson, Artem Zub, Tyler Kleven and top goaltender Linus Ullmark. Staios admitted on Saturday that he isn’t sure how this group will look without Tkachuk’s presence.

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“I’m not quite sure on the impact, as it is, like I’ve seen that team, that core play, there’s been a change, (and they’ll see) sort of sets in,” said Staios. “Does it change the timeline (for a Cup)? Quite possibly, but if there are other things that I could do, maybe it accelerates it.”