The Ottawa Senators sit in seventh place in the Atlantic Division standings and received even more bad news coming off Wednesday’s 4-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets — Ottawa’s eighth defeat in its last 10 games.
According to the NHL’s website, Senators coach D.J. Smith confirmed Thursday that defenseman Thomas Chabot suffered a fractured hand likely as a result of a hit delivered by Columbus forward Sean Kuraly. Smith explained why Chabot will probably be shut down until next fall.
“A fracture in the hand is typically around that timetable (4-6 weeks), and there would be no point (in Chabot returning),” Smith said. “You wouldn’t play him if he was healthy for two games at the end or whatever the case may be.”
Per ESPN stats, Chabot leads the Senators with 28 assists on the season and has also contributed six goals across 55 games. He becomes a spectator leading the entire NHL in ice time per contest with an average of 26:22.
“When ‘Chabby’ went out, it was a huge hit to us,” Smith continued. “I could just feel it on the bench emotionally. He does so many things. The word got out in the room after [the second period] that Chabby wouldn’t be returning and what the injury was.”
The Athletic’s Ian Mendes noted the Senators’ defensemen weren’t “expected to draw too much attention from other teams” ahead of this coming Monday’s trade deadline even before this development.
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