Sens ramping up trade talks: 'Lots of dialogue right now'

General manager Steve Staios has plenty of irons in the fire as he seeks to end the Ottawa Senators' seven-year playoff drought.

"There's lots of dialogue right now," Staios told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch on Friday.

Staios added that he's seeking improvements to the entire roster rather than a specific position.

"Yeah, there are some areas where you have to look at," he said. "You have to look at that, at the time, if the opportunity presents itself, but I think, in general, we're looking to improve in all areas."

The Senators are reportedly among the most aggressive teams pursuing Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom. Ottawa's netminders combined for a .881 save percentage this past season, which ranked 31st in the NHL.

The Sens are also gauging the level of interest surrounding defenseman Jakob Chychrun and are hopeful of unloading Mathieu Joseph's contract, sources told Garrioch. Chychrun is one year away from unrestricted free agency and was involved in rumors throughout the season. Joseph has two years remaining on his deal with a $2.95-million cap hit.

Beyond seeking external improvements, Ottawa has four restricted free agents on the books and approximately $12.4 million in cap space to work with, according to Cap Friendly.

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