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Ottawa Senators To Activate Artem Zub

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With Nikita Zaitsev sent to Belleville, another move on defense has come for the Ottawa Senators. As reported by CapFriendly, the Senators have activated defenseman Artem Zub off of injured reserve.

The blueliner has been out with an upper-body injury since October 28th. The Senators’ blueline just recently lost top defenseman Thomas Chabot, who was placed on injured reserve on the 13th.

Zub, who has become a fan favorite since arriving in Ottawa for the 2020-21 season, should help the Senators’ defense corps stabilize in the midst of Chabot’s absence. In his seven games played this year Zub has three points and has skated in 22 minutes per game, including two minutes on the penalty kill.

Remaining healthy and productive this year is of particular importance for Zub, as he is a pending unrestricted free agent. While there will likely be significant interest in his services regardless, putting forth a quality platform year would go a long way in securing Zub either a lucrative extension in Ottawa or a major contract from another club.

Nikita Zaitsev Assigned To AHL, Two Placed On Waivers

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November 18: After clearing waivers last week. the Senators have now officially sent Zaitsev to the AHL’s Belleville Senators.

November 9: Three players have hit waivers today, including some rather expensive defensemen. Mike Reilly has been waived by the Boston Bruins for the second time this season, now that his clock needed to be reset. If a player suits up for 10 NHL games or spends 30 days on the active roster after clearing waivers, they must clear again before being sent down.

With Charlie McAvoy expected to be activated in the coming days, the Bruins needed to open a roster spot and some cap space. Reilly’s $3MM won’t come off the books entirely if sent down to the minor leagues, however, meaning the team may need to make another transaction like moving Derek Forbort to long-term injured reserve to make the financials work.

The Ottawa Senators have also placed Nikita Zaitsev and Magnus Hellberg on waivers, a disappointing outcome for the former who signed a seven-year, $31.5MM contract in 2017 only to see his play deteriorate substantially in the seasons since. Zaitsev has played in seven of the Senators games this season and saw fewer than 12 minutes of ice time last night against the Vancouver Canucks. He was on the ice for two goals against despite those limited minutes and has been unable to provide consistent defensive effort for the team.

If he clears, the veteran defenseman can be sent to the minor leagues, giving the Senators a bit of cap relief. He will still make his entire salary in the AHL, however, not something that Ottawa likes to do with high-priced talent.

Hellberg, meanwhile, seems like the most reasonable target of the three for any team that is looking for some goaltending help. Nabbed from the Seattle Kraken before the season began, he stopped 29 of 30 shots in his only appearance with the Senators and recently had a long run of success in the KHL. The 6’6″ netminder wasn’t needed anymore with Cam Talbot and Anton Forsberg healthy, but could be an asset for other teams.

Senators To Honor Wade Redden

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  • The Ottawa Senators, who happen to be brought up every time a Karlsson trade is discussed, will honor a different former defenseman next month. Wade Redden will be the second person and first player inducted into the team’s Ring of Honour, joining the late Bryan Murray. Redden, originally selected second overall by the New York Islanders in 1995, made his NHL debut in 1996 for the Senators after being part of a three-team trade and would go on to play 838 games for the franchise. That’s good for fourth all-time in franchise history, behind only Chris Phillips, Daniel Alfredsson, and Chris Neil. Phillips and Alfredsson have already been honored by the team with a jersey retirement.

Latest On Sale Of Ottawa Senators

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While most of the attention regarding the potential sale of the Ottawa Senators has gone to Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds, there are plenty of interested parties lining up for their shot at an NHL franchise. Today, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that Michael Andlauer, owner of the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs and Rocco Tullio, owner of the Oshawa Generals, have formed a partnership for an attempt to by the Senators.

In fact, this isn’t the first time Tullio has tried to buy the team. Garrioch reports that he offered former Senators owner Eugene Melnyk $650MM last year. That is close to the figure the Senators were recently valued at by Sportico, though the upcoming sale price is expected to rise much higher.

Andlauer, meanwhile, has very deep pockets and already owns a portion of the Montreal Canadiens – something he would have to sell if he took over the Senators. The two combined could likely put up a massive offer, and have a history of success in hockey already with the OHL clubs.

That’s not all, though. Garrioch reports several other interested parties, as the sale of the Senators has drummed up plenty of excitement. The team started the process earlier this month by hiring Galatioto Sports Partners, after the Melnyk daughters, Anna and Olivia, decided to sell following their father’s death in March.

The sale is likely to be tied closely with the development project at LeBreton Flats, which the Senators are the preferred bidder for. A new sports complex would offer the team the chance to move closer to downtown and out of their current location, 40 minutes outside of the city center.

Snapshots: 2024 Draft, Joseph, Dorion

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There’s a lot of focus on the 2023 draft and for good reason. Connor Bedard leads an impressive group that could seriously shift the balance of power in the NHL depending on who goes where, and there are several teams tanking for the opportunity to pick as high as possible. But 2024 isn’t that far away, and Craig Button of TSN is already talking up the top name. Button believes Cole Eiserman from the USNTDP is the clear number one, and that he would go in the top five this year if he were eligible.

The 16-year-old left-shot forward absolutely dominated the World U17 Hockey Challenge with 12 goals and 20 points in just seven games, and is committed to play for the University of Minnesota in 2024-25. His older brother Shane Eiserman was a fourth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2014, who played in the ECHL for a few years. So remember, if your team fails to secure the top spot – there’s always next year.

  • Mathieu Joseph of the Ottawa Senators has received a $5,000 fine for high-sticking Sebastian Aho last night, avoiding any suspension. The 25-year-old forward hasn’t had quite the impact that some expected after his brilliant end to last season and has been held scoreless in his last six games. The Senators as a group aren’t doing much, losing eight of their last ten and sitting 29th in the league. Joseph has three points in 15 games so far.
  • Speaking of the Senators, Pierre Dorion has been a busy man at the general manager meetings going on in Toronto. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that Dorion admitted to having a lot of trade talks so far, though there were no specifics given. He certainly hasn’t been shy about pulling the trigger in recent months; the Senators have completed nine trades since March 20.

Injury Notes: Allison, Bowers, Knyzhov

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A trio of roster transactions involving injured players were made tonight, starting with the Philadelphia Flyers. According to CapFriendly, the team has moved forward Wade Allison to injured reserve, signifying he’ll miss at least five more days with a lower-body injury.

Allison was placed on injured reserve retroactive to November 12 and will miss at least the team’s upcoming three-game road trip against Columbus, Boston, and Montreal. The 25-year-old left Saturday’s game against Ottawa after laying a hit on Senators defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker, and The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor reported yesterday that Allison won’t miss too much time. Through 14 games this season, Allison has contributed three goals and an assist.

  • The Colorado Avalanche have moved forward Shane Bowers to injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, freeing up a roster spot for any potential call-ups. On Saturday, Bowers was given a six-week timeline by head coach Jared Bednar after sustaining an upper-body injury 1:46 into his NHL career. The team did not have any extra roster spots for healthy players, with all non-dressed players out with injuries.
  • The San Jose Sharks have also moved defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov to long-term injured reserve. Knyzhov, 24, has not played hockey since suiting up for all 56 games of the shortened 2020-21 season. A groin injury kept him out for the entirety of 2021-22, and an Achilles injury is expected to keep him out until mid-February.

Smith: Hopeful Zub Can Return By The End Of The Week

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  • While the Senators were hoping to have defenseman Artem Zub back by now, it appears that he’ll be out a little while longer. Speaking to TSN 1200 earlier today (audio link), head coach D.J. Smith indicated that the 27-year-old is behind schedule but that he should be able to return by the end of the upcoming week.  Zub is a pending unrestricted free agent and was averaging just shy of 22 minutes a game before sustaining an upper-body injury last month.

Thomas Chabot Placed On IR, Out At Least One Week

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1:08 pm: According to CapFriendly, the Senators have placed Chabot on IR. The team recalled defenseman Jacob Larsson this morning to fill the place left by Chabot.

11:29 am: There’s now some clarity on the injury that Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot sustained from receiving a hit in yesterday’s game against Philadelphia. Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan reports that Chabot is out at least one week with a concussion, noting that the Senators will be “cautious” with his return to the lineup.

Chabot left the game 34 seconds in the second period when he was hit into the boards behind the net by Flyers forward Travis Konecny. He did not return to the game, and Konecny did not receive a penalty on the play.

Once again, the 26-year-old Chabot has been responsible for logging huge minutes in Ottawa. His 25:45 average time on ice per game leads all Senators skaters by a good bit, with the injured Artem Zub coming in second (21:59). Through 14 games, Ottawa’s number one defenseman had three goals, three assists, six points, and a -4 rating.

With Chabot and Zub (upper-body injury, day-to-day) both out, for the time being, rookie Jake Sanderson will be thrust into the spotlight as the team’s temporary number-one defenseman. The 20-year-old has started his NHL career strong, recording seven assists in 14 games and leading the team with a +5 rating.

Losing Chabot at least through November 19 means they’ll be without him for a pair of tough matchups against the Islanders and Devils, as well as a divisional rival in Buffalo. The Senators remain last in the Atlantic Division with a 5-8-2 record.

Ottawa Senators Recall Jacob Larsson

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The Ottawa Senators recalled defenseman Jacob Larsson from the AHL’s Belleville Senators Sunday morning, according to the team’s communications department. The transaction comes after Thomas Chabot sustained an injury in yesterday’s 4-1 road win in Philadelphia.

Ottawa did have an extra healthy defenseman on the roster in Nikita Zaitsev, but he was waived last Wednesday after seeing his role diminish dramatically to start the season. He did clear waivers but has yet to be assigned to the minors. Larsson comes up instead, bringing 165 games of NHL experience with Anaheim to the active roster.

However, Larsson saw his semi-full-time NHL role disappear last season, playing just six games with the Ducks compared to 55 with AHL San Diego. He was waived and assigned to Belleville to begin the 2022-23 campaign, where he has two assists and a -10 rating in 12 games.

As for Chabot, the length of his absence is unknown as of last night. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman did note that if Chabot misses any meaningful length of time, it could speed up Ottawa’s already well-established desire to acquire a defenseman via trade to upgrade their blue line. The team is yet again lagging behind expectations, sitting last in the Atlantic Division with a 5-8-1 record. Injuries have certainly been a factor in their sluggish start.

TSN’s Bruce Garrioch notes that Larsson’s recall signifies that Chabot will likely miss at least tomorrow’s game against the New York Islanders.

Ottawa Senators Pursuit Of Defenseman Could Intensify; Chabot's Status Not Yet Known

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Rumors that the Ottawa Senators were interested in adding a defenseman to bolster their blueline have persisted since the beginning of this offseason. Over that time, the team has brought in a few exciting forwards like Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat, acquired goaltender in Cam Talbot and saw forward Shane Pinto start to break out. Still, the team hasn’t been able to find the defenseman they were looking for. Recent struggles from the team have ignited those rumors even more, with the waiving of Nikita Zaitsev this week seeming to be the ’cherry on top.’ However, today’s Thomas Chabot injury has managed to heat things up even more.

On this evening’s 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night In Canada, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Chabot’s status in relation to the injury was unknown, but that it could certainly accelerate Ottawa’s process to find another defenseman. Friedman adds that other executives around the league have confirmed that Senators GM Pierre Dorion has been “looking under every rock” when it comes to a defenseman. Still, Dorion may be hesitant, given the team’s situation, he could easily be handcuffed into a pricey move he may not truly want to make. On top of this, another reason Friedman mentions that could hold up a trade is the number of players who have no-trade clauses excluding most, if not all Canadian cities.

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