Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith said defenseman Thomas Chabot would be “unavailable” for Tuesday night’s game against the New York Rangers, according to The Hockey News reporter Alex Adams.
Smith told reporters on Tuesday morning that Chabot went for an MRI and the team was awaiting results. The left-handed blueliner felt some discomfort and missed practice on Monday. Smith said on Monday that Chabot was expected to play against the Rangers, but something between then and now must have changed their decision.
Chabot, 26, played twice last week, his first game action since fracturing his hand in a game against the New York Islanders on Oct. 26, which required him to miss five weeks. He played 26:41 in a 4-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 1, then 22:29 in a 2-0 win over the Seattle Kraken the following day.
In nine games this season, Chabot has four assists and is averaging 24:23 of ice time, his lowest total since the 2018-19 season. He is currently in the fourth year of an eight-year, $64 million contract.
In eight NHL seasons, Chabot has 53 goals and 180 assists for 233 points in 390 games. He was drafted 18th overall by the Senators in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
The Senators are 9-10-0 with 18 points through their first 19 games of the 2023-24 season. They lost three straight before defeating the Kraken on Saturday. After playing the Rangers on Tuesday, the Senators host their inter-provincial rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs, on Thursday, before travelling to the Motor City to face the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.
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