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Artem Zub Facing Lengthy Absence

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The Ottawa Senators are expected to be without their top defensive option once again, as Darren Dreger of TSN tweets Artem Zub could miss two to three weeks after taking a puck to the face. The defenseman is going through additional medical testing to get a more precise timeline.

Zub, 27, was already limited by injury this season and has played in just 14 games so far. The team is 7-7 with him in the lineup, compared to a 3-6-1 record without. With so much chaos surrounding the team this season, the Russian defenseman has been one of the most consistent options for head coach D.J. Smith, offering a steadying influence among a young group.

The team had just started to turn things around, winning four of their last five, several of which were in dramatic fashion. Ottawa’s big offseason expectations have been dashed in the early going but with some inconsistent performances throughout the Eastern Conference, the playoffs aren’t completely out of the picture just yet. At the very least, this can be an important development season for some of the team’s younger players.

In order for that to happen though, they’ll need to have some structure and some chance to win every night. Zub is a significant part of that, even without flashy point totals or dynamic puck skills.

Senators Recall Jacob Larsson

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The Senators have brought up some extra defensive depth, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Jacob Larsson from Belleville of the AHL.  Ottawa had an open roster spot so no corresponding move needed to be made.

The 25-year-old is in his first season with the Senators after coming over in free agency following his non-tender by Anaheim last summer.  Larsson has played in three games with Ottawa so far this season during a recall last month, logging a little under 13 minutes per game while being held off the scoresheet.  Meanwhile, he has suited up in 16 contests at the minor league level, picking up four assists.

The move comes on the heels of Artem Zub and Travis Hamonic both taking pucks up high last night against the Rangers, the former to the face and the latter to the throat.  Zub has already been ruled out for tonight per Postmedia’s Ken Warren (Twitter link) and Nick Holden will return to the lineup in his place.  Meanwhile, Larsson will suit up if Hamonic is unable to play tonight against San Jose.

Latest On Travis Hamonic

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  • There was a scary scene at the New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators game tonight when veteran defenseman Travis Hamonic took a Vitali Kravtsov shot to his throat. As reported by NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, Hamonic stayed down after taking the shot and left for the Senators’ locker room shortly afterward. Thankfully, though, it seems Hamonic is alright, as Rosen reports he was back on the ice to start the second period.

Alex Formenton Ineligible For Rest Of Season

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The NHL’s deadline for clubs to sign restricted free agents to contracts that would allow them to play in the 2022-23 season has now passed. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed that there has been no contract signed, meaning Ottawa Senators forward Alex Formenton is now ineligible to play in the rest of this NHL season.

Per Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, the Senators have been trying to find a trade for Formenton but were unable to finalize a deal before this deadline passed. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported that the Senators’ asking price for Formenton was a second-round pick, and it appears that no team was willing to meet that asking price in order to acquire Formenton before the 4PM CDT deadline.

On paper, Formenton’s restricted free agency once seemed straightforward. After scoring 18 goals and 32 points last year, the speedy 23-year-old forward looked set to either earn a moderate bridge contract or perhaps even be a candidate for a long-term extension.

But Formenton’s status has become unclear due to potentially significant off-ice complications.

Speculation has continued to surface regarding Formenton’s role in the Hockey Canada World Junior 2018 sexual assault investigation, for which he is one of few players to not release a statement denying involvement.

While TSN’s Darren Dreger has reported that the NHL’s investigation is “substantially complete,” the league did not release its findings before today’s deadline, which may have contributed to the Formenton’s uncertain current status.

With the deadline now passed, it seems that Formenton’s only choice regarding his NHL future is to wait until there is more certainty in the matters that NHL clubs are reportedly concerned about. In the meantime, the Senators will retain Formenton’s rights as a restricted free agent.

Ottawa Senators Recall Nikita Zaitsev

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Another night another loss for the Ottawa Senators, who can’t seem to get things back on track for very long. The club was beaten 3-1 by the New York Rangers, and the pair of Nick Holden and Erik Brannstrom played fewer than 15 minutes each. Perhaps a change is coming, as Nikita Zaitsev has been recalled from the AHL today.

The 31-year-old defenseman has been pushed out of the lineup and off the roster this season, after playing at least 55 games in each of the last six years. In three games with the Belleville Senators, Zaitsev had no points and was a -3, similar numbers to those he had in his seven games with Ottawa.

Despite his cap hit, which places him as the second most expensive defensemen in the Senators organization, Zaitsev has been an inconsistent mess for the last few years. The player that scored 36 points as a rookie with the Toronto Maple Leafs is nowhere to be seen, and even his one-on-one defending – arguably his greatest skill when first arriving in North America – has deteriorated.

The Senators have to try something, though, as this season is slipping away from them one game at a time. The club is now 8-13-1 on the year, good for last in the Atlantic Divison.

Senators Send Thomson, Mandolese To AHL

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  • The Ottawa Senators have sent Lassi Thomson and Kevin Mandolese back to the AHL, given they don’t play again until Wednesday. They could be recalled again in the next few days, though Thomson did play just 9:18 in his appearance on Friday. Mandolese was recalled while Anton Forsberg dealt with a minor injury, meaning he likely won’t be back up unless another issue emerges.

Forsberg Won't Play Sunday But Should Be Back Soon After

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When Ottawa was forced to recall Kevin Mandolese yesterday in the wake of Anton Forsberg’s injury, there were concerns about whether this was the next of a long list of significant injuries the Senators have dealt with this season.  Fortunately for them, it doesn’t appear that this is the case.  Head coach D.J. Smith told reporters, including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, that while Forsberg won’t play tomorrow in Los Angeles, he isn’t expected to be out much longer with the team classifying him as out day-to-day.  It has been a bit of a tough start to the season for Forsberg as he has a 3.43 GAA and a .904 SV% in his first 13 games which is part of the reason that the Sens enter play today at the bottom of the Atlantic Division.

Ottawa Senators Recall Kevin Mandolese

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Recalling a goaltender is not usually a good sign. The Ottawa Senators have brought up Kevin Mandolese from the AHL, sparking questions over which NHL goalie is out. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that in this case, it’s Anton Forsberg out with a minor injury.

This isn’t the first injury in net the team has dealt with this year. Cam Talbot missed a month at the start of the year, forcing the team to claim Magnus Hellberg off waivers for a little while. They just barely missed the chance to grab Hellberg again, as he was nabbed off waivers by the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.

Now they’ll have to turn to Mandolese for however long Forsberg is out, with Talbot likely seeing every minute of action in the meantime. The 22-year-old Mandolese has never played in the NHL and has an .868 save percentage in six games with the Belleville Senators this season.

The Senators, on a three-game losing streak, are set to play the Anaheim Ducks this afternoon.

Ottawa Senators Recall Lassi Thomson; Looking For Additional Defensemen

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After another brutal loss that saw the Ottawa Senators give up five goals to the San Jose Sharks, the team has made a swap on defense. Jacob Larsson has been returned to the AHL, while prospect Lassi Thomson is on his way to join the club on their road trip.

Thomson, 22, was the 19th overall pick in 2019 and played 16 games for the Senators last season. His time in the AHL has been productive, including ten points in 15 games this season. While he may not be the complete solution for Ottawa, there is more help coming.

Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia tweets that the hope is Thomas Chabot can play tomorrow, while general manager Pierre Dorion has spoken to 10-15 teams about potential defensive additions. There hasn’t been a fit yet, and as losses pile up, it gets harder and harder to justify a big move. The Senators are now 6-11-1 on the year and sit dead last in the Atlantic Division, even behind the Buffalo Sabres who have lost eight in a row.

Larsson, during his short time with the club, didn’t impress. The 25-year-old averaged fewer than 13 minutes of ice time over his three appearances and was not totally trusted by the coaching staff. While Jake Sanderson, Erik Brannstrom, and Artem Zub were all logging more than 22 minutes last night, Larsson played just 14:40 and was the only defenseman to not see a second on the penalty kill.

The team goes into Vegas to take on the Golden Knights tomorrow, before heading back to California for matchups with the Ducks and Kings over the weekend.

Jacob Bernard-Docker Out One Month, Thomas Chabot Day-To-Day

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Some injury updates are coming in today concerning the Ottawa Senators’ defense, courtesy of Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. While star defenseman Thomas Chabot is now day-to-day with a concussion, Jacob Bernard-Docker is out for at least one month with a high ankle sprain.

Chabot sustained the concussion in a November 12 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. After being checked into the boards by Travis Konecny, the team placed Chabot on injured reserve the following day. Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan reported at the time Chabot’s timeline was at least one week.

It’s unclear when Bernard-Docker suffered the ankle injury. He played the full game yesterday in a 5-1 loss to the red-hot New Jersey Devils, logging 16:46 of ice time and a -1 rating. The young defender has been solid in a bottom-four role, contributing an assist in six games between call-ups from the Belleville Senators.

At least for Ottawa, the Bernard-Docker injury comes after Artem Zub, their best defensive defenseman, was cleared to return to play. Zub’s presence is the highlighting factor for Ottawa’s right side on defense, and he’ll ease the depth issues created by Bernard-Docker’s absence.

With Chabot likely healthy by the time Bernard-Docker is ready to go again, expect Ottawa to assign the latter back to the minors.

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