Senators GM defends Burakovsky trade in busy week of roster moves

General Manager Steve Staios said Saturday he's confident in the roster changes he's made over the past week, with his work on the Senators still ongoing.

"As far as making other trades, we're hoping to improve the roster," Staios said. "We're pleased at where we're at now, and we're going to continue to build on that depth."

Staios is trying to mould the Senators to play like Stanley Cup-champion Carolina Hurricanes. His activity has been intense. He traded captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for draft picks (No. 9 and No. 25 in Friday's draft) plus a second-rounder in 2027 and a top-10-protected first-round pick in 2029. He then dealt the No. 9 pick to San Jose for winger William Eklund, forward prospect Kasper Halttunen, and the rights to unsigned draft pick Brandon Svoboda.

On Friday, the club also signed restricted free agent defenceman Jordan Spence to a four-year, $20-million U.S. deal, sent a fifth-round pick in 2027 to Toronto for goalie Samuel Ersson, and acquired winger Andre Burakovsky from Chicago for a sixth-round pick in 2028.

Staios acknowledged he pursued bigger moves. He confirmed discussions with Anaheim about Mason McTavish before he went to St. Louis and with Utah about JJ Peterka before Boston acquired him. The club also tried to deal the No. 25 pick for help but couldn't find a fit.

He defended bringing in Burakovsky, who carries a $5.5-million cap hit but will only make $3.7 million in real cash. The winger struggled last season with Chicago, and league belief is the Hawks intended to buy him out. Staios disagreed. "There are lots of players out there, in particular this week, and we want to stay strategic and disciplined to have the right players and the right fit for what we're doing," he said. "We've identified players like that before, and brought them in, and have been able to get more out of their game."