Unfortunately for everyone who was rooting for his comeback, Clarke MacArthur has failed his physical at Ottawa Senators’ camp and will be unable to participate with the team. It remains unclear what the future holds for the 32-year old winger, after concussion issues have robbed him of most of the past two years.
MacArthur has played in only four regular season games in each of the last two seasons, but made a comeback at the end of last year and suited up for the Senators’ playoff run. Scoring nine points in 19 playoff games, he was one of the more inspiring stories of the year in the NHL. Still, he complained of neck pain after the Senators were eliminated and needed to consult doctors. It seems as though something has resurfaced, at least enough to keep him out for the time being.
Related: [Updated Ottawa Senators Depth Chart]
It would be foolish to rule him out for the season, as MacArthur has shown an relentless drive to get back on the ice in recent years. But for now the team will have to move on without him occupying one of the spots in their top nine. The team already had some question marks on the wing, and MacArthur’s loss only complicates things further. While Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Ryan Dzingel and Bobby Ryan remain locks, the rest of the group is an uninspiring mishmash of bottom-six players. Senators camp will be interesting to watch, as players like Colin White and Nick Paul could potentially be impact wingers in the NHL if given the chance.
That’s to bad. Grizz is one of the good guys to root for, no matter what team you support
sad