The Ottawa Senators sent Jake Lucchini to the minor leagues to clear room for Josh Norris’s return, but another transaction won’t be quite as popular. Artem Zub has been moved back to injured reserve, retroactive to his last appearance on January 14.
Zub suffered a lower-body injury against the Colorado Avalanche and left the game after just 13 minutes of ice time. Jacob Bernard-Docker replaced him on Monday, and ended up playing nearly 21 minutes, behind only Thomas Chabot’s 26:48 among Senators defensemen.
Bernard-Docker is an excellent replacement, but the Senators have shown repeatedly this season that they struggle defensively with Zub out of the lineup. The 27-year-old averages more than 21 minutes a night when he does play, with more than 19 coming at even strength.
Unfortunately, that has only been in 21 games so far, as he keeps finding himself on the injured list. Zub signed a new four-year extension in December, but he’ll have to stay healthy for it to pay off.
Season over Bedard time