Jacob Bernard-Docker just returned to Ottawa’s lineup last week after being on injured reserve for more than a month. However, his time with the Senators has come to an end for the time being as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been sent to AHL Belleville.
The 22-year-old has played in nine NHL games so far this season, including seeing action in Ottawa’s last three. In those contests, he had an assist along with 14 blocked shots while averaging over 17 minutes per night which isn’t bad for a rookie. However, he’ll have an opportunity to log a lot more minutes at the minor league level; he played in eight games with Belleville back in October, picking up an assist.
At the moment, the Senators have just six defensemen on their active roster and one of those is Erik Brannstrom who hasn’t played in nearly two weeks due to a leg injury. Bernard-Docker’s assignment suggests that Brannstrom should be ready to return for Tuesday’s contest against Columbus. Brannstrom has three assists in 32 games so far this season.