“You’re looking at the break to recharge and be ready for a big push down the stretch here,” says alternate captain Thomas Chabot.

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Keep calm, and carry on.
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Steve Staios has always taken a steady approach as the president and general manager of the Ottawa Senators’ hockey operations. Still, that patience has been put to the test.
A trip to the Sunshine State was pointless after the club dropped its third straight with an ugly 5-1 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena.
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With the National Hockey League shut down for nearly two weeks with the 4 Nations Face-Off getting underway on Wednesday in Montreal, Staios has time to step back, relax and determine what’s next for this roster.
The Senators are sitting in the first wildcard spot in the East as the players head their separate ways for a lengthy break, but the loss to the Panthers is a reminder this team is a long way from being a Cup contender.
That doesn’t mean the Senators won’t make the playoffs, but the Panthers took control of the game in the second period by taking their game to another level that Ottawa couldn’t match.
The Senators learned a lesson the hard way and this wasn’t the way they wanted to head into a two-week pause in the schedule, but head coach Travis Green can’t turn back the clock now.
Ottawa players got a first-hand look at what it takes to be a champ.
“That’s what you want to achieve as a team is doing the same thing over and over again,” alternate captain Thomas Chabot said. “In the second, we didn’t do it, they took it from us and the game is over.”
With 25 days to the NHL trade deadline set for March 7 at 3 p.m. EST, Staios is running out of time to bulk up this roster, but his options are also limited because the Senators don’t have much cap space or assets to make a trade.
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League executives told Postmedia on Sunday that the asking prices are high and first-round picks are in demand.
That’s a slippery slope for Staios because the Senators have to give up their first-round pick in one of the next two NHL drafts as punishment for the botched deal with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2022.
The club has its second- and third-round selections it could move, but the organization also needs to restock its prospects’ cupboard so that may not be a great solution.
We’re told that Staios has been kicking tires all season for depth up front and on defence. The priority would be to find a forward who can play in the top nine, especially with Nick Cousins out for the rest of the season after having knee surgery.
Two names we’re told the Senators have shown interest in are forward Brandon Tanev of the Seattle Kraken and Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato. The former is listed as No. 18 on TSN’s newest Trade Bait board and Donato is at No. 11.
Donato, 28, has 19 goals and 37 points in 53 games this season with the Hawks. An unrestricted free agent on July 1, he’s making $2 million U.S. and is attracting a lot of interest, and the Senators aren’t alone.
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Tanev, 33, would help fill the role left empty by the Cousins injury. He’s hard to play against and makes $3.5 million. The Senators tried to acquire him from the Kraken last summer, but didn’t have any luck.
Tanev will likely be moved by the Kraken and there is significant interest. He has nine goals and 17 points in 55 games this year and Seattle won’t be making the playoffs so he’s expendable.
Another name to watch is centre Gustav Nyquist of the Nashville Predators, who has nine goals and 20 points. He could be an option as a depth centre and the club did study signing him as a UFA two years ago.
Staios can do as he’s done in the past, hope the club gets healthy and the answers come from within.
It’s unlikely Staois will make a big splash if he does make any moves, but he could add to the roster without subtracting. He can send a message to the room that he’s confident heading down the stretch.
The club has 26 games left when the schedule resumes on Feb. 22 against the Montreal Canadiens at the Canadian Tire Centre. The club will 16 of its final 26 at home.
The Senators’ depth has been tested in the last 10 days with injuries to centres Josh Norris and Shane Pinto. The club didn’t react well, especially after Pinto’s loss, and wasn’t up to snuff in Tampa or Florida.
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That’s why the break comes at a good time for the Senators.
“Every team goes through it and has injuries,” Chabot said. “It’s not just us. Guys have to step up and it’s a next-man-up mentality to fill that role. On the other side, you’re looking at the break to recharge and be ready for a big push down the stretch here.”
Ottawa defenceman Nikolas Mantinpalo, who has played only 18 NHL games, will suit up for Team Finland at the 4 Nations. He got the call on Sunday after Philly’s Rasmus Ristolainen opted not to go because of an undisclosed injury.
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