Training Camp: Steve Staios Accepts Tryout Offer

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Darren Dreger reports on Twitter than former Oilers and Flames defenseman Steve Staios has accepted a tryout offer to Islanders training camp. According to Arthur Staple, he is expected to report on Monday. 

Staios played 39 games in the 2011-12 season for the Calgary Flames, recording 3 goals and 7 assists with a +6 rating.

CH: Clearly, this is not an ideal situation. The Islanders have (so far) failed to acquire a top-4 defenseman, which was their most pressing need going into the off-season. On that front, Garth Snow has failed. But instead of looking back, our mantra all summer has been to look forward. So we'll do that.

Steve Staios can still play the game. Yes, he is getting up there in age. Yes, his body has started to break down a little at 38 years old. But he plays a rugged game - which is what the Isles need on the blueline. He's a smart defenseman that can chip in on both sides of the rink. He's known as a leader across the board and someone who can really help the young defensemen on the team - such as Travis Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald.

There's generally two types of training camp invites: the "are you good enough to make this team?" invite and the "we want to make sure you are healthy" invite. My hunch is that it's the latter. As long as Staios makes it through camp healthy, he will get a contract. And that would not be a bad thing. The Isles need someone to fill the void - guys like Ty Wishart need to earn their ice time.

What I do know is that Staios can still contribute. Will he make the impact the Isles have needed all along? It's unlikely, at best. But he can be a solid stopgap and leader for the season, and at this point, it is worth bringing him in and seeing what he has. Let's hope it's enough to put a solid season together.

AT: As long as he stays healthy, Staios is pretty much the best alternative to not bringing in a top 4 d-man. He's older, yes, but he still has a decent defensive game and can probably contribute 14-16 points offensively as well, so there's nothing wrong with it. Nobody wants Mike Mottau, as nice of a guy as he is, on the top 3 D pairings. He is fine as a 7th D but playing regular minutes would hurt the team. Now, it would be even better if this trade could still happen and Staios could be our 7th D, but we're dealing in terms of reality and not conjecture. Hoping for the best camp possible for the vet.