The Ottawa Senators goaltending depth got a little weaker today after Andrew Hammond was ruled out for the next three months. He’ll need surgery on a torn labrum in his hip, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. The Senators will go with Craig Anderson and Mike Condon for the rest of the season.
Since his dream debut for the Senators in 2015 going 20-1-2 down the stretch and leading them into the playoffs, Hammond hasn’t been able to replicate that play or consistency. Bounced back and forth between the NHL and minor leagues the last two seasons, he struggled mightily this year filling in for Anderson and Condon. Now 29 with one year remaining on his contract, it’s unclear what the Senators plan on doing in net going forward.
With Anderson signed through next year, and the team considering a long-term extension for Condon, they would have three goaltenders making substantial money under contract. He may stay buried in the minors, or potentially bought-out this summer. For a player who once looked like a future starting goaltender in the NHL, it has been a long and painful fall to where he is now. Perhaps a summer of rehab and a new start somewhere else would get him back on track.