Senators Notes: MacArthur, Goaltending, Harpur, Lazar

As he continues to try to recover from a concussion, Senators left winger Clarke MacArthur is set to undergo a neuro-psych exam that will be a significant factor in determining when he returns to the lineup, writes Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen.  The difference between this test and a typical baseline concussion test is that MacArthur will also be evaluated in on-ice drills to determine his readiness to graduate towards more rigorous rehab.

MacArthur has been skating with the Senators and as of late has moved onto most of the regular practice drills aside from those that require significant physical contact.  As a result, he’s targeting a return to the lineup sometime in January, assuming he passes this test without any issues.

The 31 year old has yet to play this season after being concussed on a hit from defenseman Patrick Sieloff in an intrasquad game back in training camp.  Going back to last year, he saw action in just four games because of recurring concussion symptoms.

Other news from Ottawa:

• While goaltending Craig Anderson has typically been pretty quick to rejoin the team after taking his leaves of absence to be with his cancer-stricken wife, it doesn’t sound like that will be the case this time around. Via Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun (Twitter link), head coach Guy Boucher noted that he expects that Mike Condon and Andrew Hammond will be the goalie tandem for a while.  Condon has been a strong addition for the Sens since being acquired from Pittsburgh, posting a 2.38 GAA and a .920 SV% in nine games so far.
• The team announced via Twitter that they have recalled defenseman Ben Harpur from their AHL affiliate in Binghamton. The 21 year old has played in 20 games in the minors this season, recording three assists and 30 penalty minutes.  He has five games of NHL experience under his belt from last season with Ottawa.
• Center/right winger Curtis Lazar skated on the fourth line at practice between Chris Kelly and Chris Neil, Garrioch notes in a separate tweet. Over the weekend, it was reported that he was targeting Wednesday as a return date from a concussion and it appears he’s on track to meet that goal.