Atlantic Notes: Chabot, Kastelic, Compher, Dahlin
The Senators have once again had a disappointing start to a season, sitting with a .500 record through 20 games and ranking seventh in the Atlantic Division points-percentage-wise. Things are about to get even tougher for them, as head coach D.J. Smith confirmed star defenseman Thomas Chabot will miss a second straight game tonight as he continues to undergo testing on a leg injury, with Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relaying the team expects him to once again be out long-term. Chabot had played two games after returning from a right-hand fracture before exiting the lineup once again.
Garrioch clarified that Ottawa should issue a more comprehensive update on Chabot’s status by tomorrow morning. The 26-year-old has been limited to nine games this year, still managing to average over 24 minutes per contest and logging four assists. He’s been a positive possession force and is a crucial minute-muncher for the Sens, now averaging over 24 minutes per game for the sixth consecutive season. He has five seasons remaining (including this one) on an eight-year, $64MM extension signed in 2019.
More from around the Atlantic Division:
- In slightly more positive injury news for the Senators, Garrioch also reports that forward Mark Kastelic is continuing his recovery from an ankle injury and skated today in a non-contact jersey. Kastelic is listed as week-to-week and has missed 11 games with a high ankle sprain sustained on November 2 against the Kings. The 24-year-old remains on long-term injured reserve and is eligible to return anytime. He has no points in nine games this season and has averaged just 6:55 per game.
- Red Wings forward J.T. Compher is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury and won’t play tonight against the Sharks, head coach Derek Lalonde said. Compher has lived up to his billing so far in Hockeytown after signing a five-year, $25.5MM pact when free agency opened last July that was criticized by some at the time. Through 24 games, Compher is tied for fourth on the team in points with 19 and has held down the second-line center position well, averaging 18:52 per game behind Dylan Larkin. His possession numbers have seen a significant dip, however, posting a career-low Corsi share of 44.3% at even strength. He was expected to center a line between Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane in the latter’s Red Wings debut tonight, but that role will instead go to 23-year-old Joe Veleno, who has six goals and three assists in 24 games.
- Rasmus Dahlin has been dealing with a lower-body injury over the past few days but hasn’t missed any game time for the Sabres. That may change tonight, as the superstar defender did not participate in morning skate and is questionable for tonight’s contest against the Bruins, according to Lance Lysowki of The Buffalo News. The 23-year-old has struggled in his last three outings (as has the rest of the team), posting one goal and a -6 rating. Dahlin, who has 21 points in 26 games and is second on the team in scoring, isn’t likely to miss an extended period of time.
Atlantic Notes: Gaunce, Chabot, Samsonov
Per a team announcement, the AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Marlies, announced they have signed defenseman Cameron Gaunce to a professional tryout. Already a solid defensive team sitting at 10th in the AHL in terms of goals against, Gaunce’s experience on the blue line should help strengthen the Marlies defensive core even more.
A solid offensive defenseman during his time in the OHL, Gaunce was originally a second-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2008 NHL Draft. Since leaving the OHL after the 2009-10 season, Gaunce has managed 14 years of AHL experience, as well as accruing 37 games at the NHL level split between Colorado, Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Tampa Bay Lightning.
In the minor leagues, Gaunce has played in a total of 783 games, scoring 50 goals and 248 assists, spending the last three years playing for the Ontario Reign. He won’t provide much in the way of offense over the length of his tryout, but largely sporting a younger defensive core, Gaunce’s experience should ultimately make for a great addition to the Marlies’ blue line.
Other notes:
- Although he had fully recovered from a hand injury and returned to action for the Ottawa Senators on December 1st, defenseman Thomas Chabot may once again miss a stretch of games for the Senators. Bruce Garrioch of TSN reports that Chabot will not play for the team tonight against the New York Rangers after experiencing some discomfort in his leg, and will have an MRI to make a more accurate diagnosis. In his return to the ice last week, Chabot averaged just over 24 minutes of ice time in two games, adding one assist on the powerplay.
- After having missed a few games due to an illness, goaltender for the Maple Leafs, Ilya Samsonov, has made his return to practice. Unfortunately, Samsonov did not make it through the full practice and had to depart early (X Link). It may not mean much, however, as Toronto had already loaned goaltender Martin Jones back to the AHL this morning, meaning the team may have good enough confidence that he will still be available for the team’s game on Thursday.
Senators Activate Thomas Chabot
The Senators have officially removed defenseman Thomas Chabot from long-term injured reserve, per CapFriendly. Chabot can now officially return to the lineup Friday against the Blue Jackets, where he’s expected to comprise the team’s second defense pairing alongside Artem Zub.
Tomorrow will mark Chabot’s first appearance since October 26, when he sustained a right-hand fracture in a game against the Islanders. The team immediately announced he would miss four to six weeks and placed him on LTIR, freeing up precious salary cap space for a team that had to open the season short a skater due to cap constraints. Just a few days into his projected return window, Chabot is ready to go.
His recovery has forced some cap gymnastics, as CapFriendly notes. Forwards Ridly Greig and Mark Kastelic, who have been out of the lineup since early this month, were both retroactively placed on LTIR to free up cap space. Given that LTIR requires a player to miss at least ten games and 28 days due to an injury, Greig and Kastelic will miss at least two more games with their lower-body injuries. They remain listed as week-to-week and will be eligible to return on December 5 against the Rangers.
Even under LTIR, the Senators now have only $148K in available cap space with an active roster of 21 players.
Outside of the financials, this news is quite pertinent for a Senators team looking to dig itself out of last place in the Atlantic Division and get back into the playoff conversation by New Year’s Day. Injuries have limited Chabot over the past few seasons – he’s missed roughly 25% of Ottawa’s games dating back to the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign. When in the lineup, though, he remains an extremely valuable piece of the Senators’ puzzle. He routinely averages the most ice time of nearly any defender in the league, staying over the 24-minute mark for six straight seasons. He has a long history of positive relative possession numbers, too, and has produced at a 0.64 points-per-game clip since transitioning into a top-pairing role in 2018.
Before sustaining the fracture, Chabot had logged three assists and a -1 rating in seven appearances.
Injury Notes: Chabot, Martin, Hamilton
The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch shared that star defenseman Thomas Chabot will return to the lineup in the team’s Friday matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Chabot has missed the last 10 games with a broken right hand suffered on October 26th against the New York Islanders.
Chabot has appeared in seven games this season, recording three assists, two penalty minutes, and a -1. He’s coming off a career year, scoring 41 points in 68 games last season. It was the second-most that Chabot has scored in a single season, with his career-high coming in the 2018-19 season when Chabot scored 55 points in 70 games. Chabot, 26, is in the fourth season of an eight-year contract extension signed in 2019.
Other injury notes around the league:
- New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert shared that forward Matt Martin is close to returning to action, but that his activation from injured reserve was more precautionary than anything. Lambert said that forwards Simon Holmstrom and Cal Clutterbuck missed the team’s Monday practice with illness and were questionable for the team’s Tuesday night game against the New Jersey Devils. Both players suited up for the matchup – with Clutterbuck even scoring a goal – delaying Martin’s return.
- New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff shared that there is currently no timetable for Dougie Hamilton‘s return from an upper-body injury. He will remain questionable for the team’s Thursday night game in Philadelphia. Ruff also shared that center Erik Haula will be out against Philadelphia, and that Timo Meier returned to skating on his own on Wednesday.
East Notes: Hischier, Meier, Nosek, Chabot, Kuznetsov
The Devils are inching back to full health among their complement of star forwards. Captain Nico Hischier, who remains sidelined with an upper-body injury, returned to practice today, per the team.
Hischier hasn’t played in over three weeks, last appearing in the team’s October 27 contest against the Sabres. He’s missed the following nine games due to injury and landed on injured reserve last week in order to create room on the Devils’ 23-man roster. This doesn’t confirm Hischier will return to game action in time for the Devils’ next game, a Wednesday contest against the Red Wings, although it is a good sign that he’s nearing a return. Hischier can be activated from IR at any time, given he’s missed more than seven days since the injury occurred. The Swiss center had just two goals and no assists in seven contests this season.
Also in New Jersey, NHL.com’s Mike Morreale relays that forwards Timo Meier and Tomáš Nosek are absent from practice today, both with injury concerns. Meier, 27, remains away from the team with a lower-body injury that’s kept him out of the last two games, and he remains listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Nosek left Saturday’s contest and did not return after taking a jarring hit from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba. It appears to be an upper-body injury for the Czech depth forward, who’s played in just six of 15 contests this season due to injuries. He’s still looking for his first point as a Devil after signing a one-year, $1MM deal with the team in July.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference on this Monday morning:
- Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot has returned to practice in a non-contact jersey today, albeit for a skills session, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports. Chabot is in the third week of the four-to-six-week recovery timeline issued for his right-hand fracture sustained on October 26 against the Islanders and looks on track to return within the early portion of that frame. He has not met the requirements to be activated off LTIR yet, however. Chabot must miss two more games until he can return to the lineup, putting his earliest possible return on December 1 against the Blue Jackets – over a week and a half from today. The Senators have certainly missed their $8MM man on the blue line, who has three assists and a -1 rating in seven contests this season while averaging 24:19 per game.
- From one country’s capital to another, Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov returned to practice Monday morning, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. Kuznetsov was absent from the team’s Saturday game against the Blue Jackets and its preceding practice with an undisclosed illness. The Russian center is in the seventh season of an eight-year deal carrying a $7.8MM cap hit, and his offensive production is off to a mediocre start for a second straight season. Playing over 21 minutes per game, Kuznetsov has three goals and eight points in 14 contests in 2023-24.
Ottawa Senators Recall Tyler Kleven, Nikolas Matinpalo
The Ottawa Senators have announced that defensemen Tyler Kleven and Nikolas Matinpalo have been recalled from the club’s AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators.
These moves have been made in the aftermath of two significant injuries that have hit the Senators’ blueline. Yesterday, it was announced that Thomas Chabot would miss significant time with a fractured hand, while defenseman Erik Brännström also suffered an injury as well.
In a corresponding move to create the necessary cap space for these recalls, CapFriendly reports that Chabot has been placed on long-term injured reserve, creating $8MM in LTIR relief for Ottawa. 
The result of this absence: the Senators have a massive number of minutes that need to be filled on their blueline.
Chabot is the club’s most highly-utilized defenseman, soaking up time at both even strength and on the power play. There’s no way what he offers the Senators can be truly replaced by any call-ups, although that’s not to say the Senators’ call-up options aren’t quality players in their own right.
Kleven, 21, is an expected call-up as he’s widely viewed as the top Senators defenseman in Belleville. The 21-year-old 2020 second-round pick got a small taste of life in the NHL at the end of last season, skating in eight games for the Senators after the conclusion of his three-year NCAA career at the University of North Dakota.
The six-foot-four, 200-pound stay-at-home blueliner excels in his own end and will be able to offer size, physicality, and shutdown ability to head coach D.J. Smith.
As for Matinpalo, he’s a player with a very different background and someone who has taken a very different path to receiving this call-up. Like Kleven, Matinpalo also offers above-average size (he’s six-foot-three, 207 pounds) as well as defensive responsibility.
But unlike Kleven, Matinpalo’s standing in the Senators organization isn’t backed by a valuable draft pick they invested in him.
The 25-year-old wasn’t a high draft pick like Kleven, instead he’s an undrafted player who only joined the organization this past summer, signing his one-year entry-level deal after establishing himself in his home country’s Finnish Liiga for three seasons with Ässät Pori.
As a result, this recall represents a massive opportunity for Matinpalo. With Chabot injured, the right side of the Senators’ defense is relatively wide open. Artem Zub is still dealing with an upper-body injury and did not travel with the Senators for their two-game road trip.
As a result, Matinpalo is positioned to make his NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight, and he has just two healthy players ahead of him on the team’s right-shot depth chart: Travis Hamonic and Jacob Bernard-Docker.
With some strong play as well as some luck, Matinpalo stands a chance of playing a bigger role in the NHL than anyone could have anticipated, at least for one game, which would be a major opportunity for him to showcase his skills.
While these Senators’ injuries are hardly ideal, they do offer opportunities for two less-experienced Senators defensemen to get into NHL contests.
Ottawa’s competitive chances have undoubtedly been reduced by these injuries, but the silver lining of this situation is that the Senators now has the chance to evaluate the progress of two younger blueliners at the NHL level.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Thomas Chabot Out Four To Six Weeks With Fractured Hand
Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith has announced to the media, including Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, that defenseman Thomas Chabot will be out for four to six weeks with a fractured hand.
This loss is a massive one for the Senators and another instance of bad news in what has been a brutal week for the franchise. It began when one of the team’s top young centers, Shane Pinto, was suspended for 41 games. Then last night Erik Brännström left the game on a stretcher due to injury, and now today it’s announced that Chabot is facing an extended absence after fracturing his hand on a shot block.
The Senators have looked at this year as a crucial one, one where they should step out of their rebuild and finally return to the playoffs.
A solid start was seen as essential to the team’s chances of competing in what will be a cutthroat Atlantic Division playoff picture, but as of right now the Senators sit tied for last place with a 3-4-0 record.
Without Chabot, the Senators will need to replace some very important minutes on their back end.
Partnered with Jake Sanderson on the team’s top pairing, the 26-year-old $8MM defenseman hasn’t had the strongest start to the season, though he has weathered major minutes for Smith’s club.
Chabot currently plays the most minutes on the Senators, averaging 24:19 per night. That figure includes over three minutes per night on the club’s power play. He’s proven to be capable of scoring at a 50-plus point pace, and even with some defensive struggles he’s inarguably one of the team’s most important players.
The loss of Chabot means that instead of having a star blueliner on his pairing, Sanderson will likely have to be paired with a less-accomplished blueliner. The ongoing injury to Artem Zub doesn’t help matters either, as Travis Hamonic is playing top-four minutes as a result.
With Zub out as well, it’s likely that the Senators will have to dip into the defensive depth they’ve stashed in the AHL in order to make ends meet at the NHL level. That likely means that a player such as Tyler Kleven or Lassi Thomson will land on the NHL roster.
While the Senators still have quite a a bit of talent on defense even without Chabot (Chychrun and Sanderson are both excellent, for example) this is a major loss for the Senators, a major loss at a crucially important juncture in their season.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Ottawa Senators Want To Sign Alex DeBrincat To Extension
Postmedia hockey columnist Bruce Garrioch tweeted today that the Ottawa Senators would like to sign Alex DeBrincat to a long-term deal, but they aren’t sure if he wants to stay. For his part, DeBrincat has been non-committal but did tell Garrioch today that he’d let the Senators know his intentions before the draft. Garrioch added that it is believed that DeBrincat would like to see where the Senators ownership situation goes before signing any long-term contract extension.
It makes sense from DeBrincat’s perspective to take a wait and see approach. He has put himself in a position to take a $9MM qualifying offer from Ottawa and then cash in next summer with any team of his choosing. For him to sign right now would mean he would be committing himself for the near future without knowing who will be signing his cheques.
DeBrincat had a steady, but unspectacular first year in Ottawa. He had 27 goals and 39 assists in 82 games, but nearly half of his production came on the power play. DeBrincat managed only 36 even strength points, a sharp drop from the 50 even strength points he produced in his last season in Chicago. DeBrincat also didn’t have great possession numbers at five on five and seemed to struggle without the benefits of the man advantage.
While it is not unusual for a player to struggle in his first season with a new club, it must give the Ottawa Senators some reservations about committing to another $8MM player. The Senators already have Thomas Chabot, Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle and Joshua Norris signed to contracts around that mark, with Jake Sanderson due an extension next summer. Adding a long term DeBrincat contract to the ledger could leave the Senators with precious little cap space to shore up their goaltending, or fix their bottom six, something general manager Pierre Dorion has talked about improving.
Derick Brassard Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
The news isn’t great for Senators center Derick Brassard. After being injured in Thursday’s victory over Philadelphia, head coach D.J. Smith told reporters including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link) that Brassard has undergone surgery to repair a fractured fibula. In a separate tweet, Garrioch adds that the recovery timeline is at least six to eight weeks and that Brassard had a plate put in.
It’s certainly a tough end to the season for the 35-year-old. Brassard had been a quality depth contributor for the Sens this year, chipping in with 13 goals in 62 games, his highest goal total since the 2019-20 campaign. Perhaps more impressive is that he was able to do so while logging just 12:11 per contest, his lowest ATOI since his rookie year back in 2007-08.
Brassard had to settle for a training camp PTO last fall but was able to earn himself a one-year contract at the league minimum. Having bounced around considerably in recent years – Ottawa is his eighth different team since 2018-19 – he’s someone whose ability to earn a contract for next season was already in question. Unfortunately, an injury like this certainly doesn’t help in that regard. Accordingly, it’s quite possible that Brassard will have to settle for a tryout once again if he looks to try to extend his 16-year NHL career any further.
Meanwhile, TSN’s Claire Hanna relays (Twitter link) that defensemen Travis Hamonic (lower body), Thomas Chabot (upper body), and Jakob Chychrun (hamstring) won’t accompany the Sens on their upcoming three-game road trip. Of the three, Smith noted that he’s hopeful that Hamonic will be able to return by the end of the season so it appears Chabot and Chychrun have seen their 2022-23 campaigns come to an end.
Injury Notes: Buchnevich, Thomas, Chabot, Cole
The St. Louis Blues will be without top forward Robert Thomas tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks with an upper-body injury, the team announced Wednesday. Thomas scored a goal in the Blues win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, and has had a strong season, with 17 goals and 46 assists for 63 points in 70 games. Thomas is now one of the core pieces up front for the Blues, and is set to begin an eight-year contract with an AAV of $8.125MM, which could soon be a bargain for a player of Thomas’ caliber. Thomas is third on the Blues in points this season.
- Sticking with the Blues, they will also be without winger Pavel Buchnevich tonight against Chicago. The winger will miss the game with an upper-body injury. He had a goal and an assist against Vancouver on Tuesday, and is second on the Blues in scoring with 25 goals and 41 assists for 66 points in 59 games. Buchnevich scored 57 goals in his final three seasons with the New York Rangers, but has 55 goals for the Blues in the past two seasons, making the acquisition look like a boon for the Blues.
- Ottawa Senators defensemen Thomas Chabot will not play tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. Chabot played on Monday for the Sens, recording an assist in the 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers. As the Sens try to make a late playoff push, losing Chabot on the blueline won’t help matters. He has 11 goals and 30 assists this season in 68 games.
- Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ian Cole will return to the lineup as the team hosts the Washington Capitals, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. The veteran defenseman missed Tuesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes and returns as the Bolts are set to host the Washington Capitals tonight.