Sunday brought news of two very different outcomes to two different veterans of the NHL who were trying to accomplish the same thing. The New York Islanders have signed veteran defenseman Steve Staios, while the Vancouver Canucks have released Todd Fedoruk. Both players were invited to training camp ahead of the pre-season.
“The one thing I tried to tell Steve was that he was going to get an honest shot,” said New York Islanders Head Coach Jack Capuano. “He came in, he worked hard and he earned a spot on our hockey team.”
The 38 year old defenseman Steve Staios was signed to a one year deal worth $1.6 million on Sunday. He enters the team as one of the oldest and most experienced players on the ice for the Isles. Beyond Staios’ tenure in the NHL, his ability to lead by example is exactly what the youthful Islanders need on the blue-line.
“You have to have the best players being your leaders and your hardest workers and so far, that’s what I’ve seen from this group,” Staios said. “There’s a real big upside to this team. I had the option of maybe three or four places legitimately, but it just made sense that this was the right place for a lot of reasons, mostly because the lineup and how the team played last year and where I could fit in on the team.”
Staios has split his 15 year NHL career between Boston, Vancouver, Atlanta, Edmonton, and Calgary. In 936 career games he has scored 56 goals and 212 points with a -67 rating and 1,269 penalty minutes.
The 6’1 200lbs. defenseman is an asset on the penalty kill, and plays in his zone smart and effectively. The Islanders have put him to the test through pre-season, as he has logged big minutes in important game situations. Through four pre-season games Staios has one goal and a -1 rating.
“That’s where I see myself (on the penalty kill),” Staios said. “I knew that as training camp went on, it would be more evident of where I’d fit in on this team. I’ve killed penalties almost every year of my career and I’m willing to block shots and do the gritty things you need on the penalty kill, so I’ll do whatever is asked of me from the coaching staff. It’s all about the team for me first.”
Steve Staios has proved throughout his career that he is a team first kind of player. With the club still in the early stages of development and growth, veteran signings such as Staios, Rolston, and Reasoner will help the young guys out tremendously.
“We’re not in a rebuilding stage anymore, but we are still a young team and he can supply the leadership that we need along with all the other guys in the room, with Streiter being our captain,” Capuano said.
Staios may not have landed with the team that can take him to the finals in his twilight, but he is content with the team and situation around him.
“I’m really impressed by how mature the younger players are on this team,” Staios said. “When you have a group like this with the high skill level, you can get away from thinking about the team game or the details or the willingness to do the right things to win. These guys have a good understanding of that already.”
Unfortunately for Todd Fedoruk, he was released on the same day from the Vancouver Canucks try-out. The 32 year old played four games with the Canucks through pre-season, notching one assist and a -2 rating.
Fedoruk skipped out on last year as he battled with alcohol and drug problems. ''That year away from hockey I could just focus on the thing that was dragging me down for years,'' he said in an earlier interview. "There were so many people behind me in the decision to come back and play.''
The nine seasons experienced tough guy will not sit and wait for another chance, or perhaps be headed to Europe to continue his career. At this point it is unknown, but many are hopeful that the 6’2 232lbs. forward will find a home.
In his nine seasons Fedoruk has totaled 545 games split between Philadelphia, Anaheim, Dallas, Minnesota, Phoenix, and Tampa Bay. He has tallied 32 goals and 65 assists for 97 points with a -27 rating and 1,050 PIMS.
Fedoruk should not hang his head too low as the Canucks squad is one of the toughest to make at the time, and while it didn’t have a lot to do with it; Staios was a no-brainer for a team like the Islanders.
- Kendall Grubbs
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