Steve Staios Provides Latest Injury Updates, Weighs In On Yakemchuk Readiness

Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios confirmed on TSN 1200 that the team is confident defenseman Jake Sanderson will be ready for the regular-season opener in Toronto on Saturday. However, defenseman Artem Zub suffered a minor setback in his rehab, though Staios indicated his absence should not extend far beyond the start of the season.

With Zub's availability in doubt, Staios praised rookie defenseman Carter Yakemchuk, noting that the 2024 first-round pick took significant steps forward physically and defensively over the summer. Staios also backed head coach Travis Green regarding transparency in media injury updates, emphasizing that injury timelines are frequently fluid and difficult to assess precisely.