BUSINESS TIME: Ottawa Senators seeking to make changes and are listening on the No. 7 pick

The Ottawa Senators held their first Spring Summit for season-ticket holders Wednesday night at the Canadian Tire Centre.

All options are on the table for the Ottawa Senators.

Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, has been working the phones to try to help the Senators get back to the playoffs, and he’s even listening on the club’s No. 7 overall selection in the National Hockey League draft that will be held June 28-29 in Las Vegas.

Speaking at the club’s first Spring Summit for season-ticket holders Wednesday night at the Canadian Tire Centre with president Cyril Leeder, senior vice-president Dave Poulin told the crowd of more than 1,500 fans he speaks with Staios “eight times a day” and the club is working hard to make changes.

Poulin told the crowd the Senators could have made short-term deals at the March trade deadline, but after spending last season evaluating where this club is at, the organization is trying to make changes.

“We spent time evaluating our hockey club, evaluating all aspects, and really  trying to get a pulse for what we had,” Poulin said. “We didn’t make major moves during the season and we had one player transaction (by dealing Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida).

“That was very pointed, that we weren’t going to rush into making any decisions. We had lots of opportunity at the trade deadline to make moves for the short-term that might have looked good. But we’re going to do what’s in the best interest of the Senators in the long-term. We’re really excited about this next stage that we’re moving into.”

The Senators wrapped up the NHL Combine in Buffalo last week, where they met with prospects in preparation for the draft. While top prospect centre  Macklin Celebrini will go No. 1, it’s anybody’s guess what might happen after he’s selected by the San Jose Sharks.

“We had interest in the (No. 7) pick. Teams will call you and say, ‘Are you interested in moving the pick?’ and you don’t know what that’s going to look like because you don’t know what’s going to be available there. You have to stay very flexible” Poulin said.