The Senators have made a pair of roster moves in advance of their game tonight against San Jose. First, the team announced that defenseman Lassi Thomson has been sent back to AHL Belleville. That opened up a roster spot which will be filled by blueliner Thomas Chabot who has been activated off injured reserve, per the NHL’s Media site.
Chabot has missed a week and a half due to an upper-body injury sustained against Dallas. Before the injury, the 28-year-old was his usual two-way self on the back end, picking up two goals and eight assists in 17 games while blocking 35 shots and averaging a little under 22 minutes per game of playing time, second only to fellow blueliner Jake Sanderson.
Chabot will likely play on the second pairing in his return and it would make sense for Nick Jensen to move back into the other spot on that duo, a pairing that has played a lot together in the early going. Whose spot Chabot takes in the lineup isn’t as certain though as Nikolas Matinpalo left Thursday’s game due to an injury. If he can’t play, then Chabot will take his place but if Matinpalo is available, it could be him or Jordan Spence being scratched.
As for Thomson, the 25-year-old was brought up earlier this week as injury insurance for the first leg of Ottawa’s road trip but didn’t see any game action. He last played in the NHL in the 2022-23 campaign and has five assists in 18 career NHL appearances. In 15 games with Belleville, he has three goals and an assist.