Ottawa Senators Make 3 Huge Announcements on Saturday

The Ottawa Senators are showing clear signs of recovery from early-season injuries, as three key players returned to the ice in encouraging fashion during Saturday’s morning skate.

Defenseman Artem Zub took the most significant step by appearing cleared for contact, according to reporting from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen.

The development marks the strongest indication yet that the 30-year-old is nearing his first appearance of the campaign.

Zub has been sidelined by a knee issue that originated during Ottawa’s first-round playoff defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes last spring.

The injury carried into the offseason and resurfaced late in training camp, forcing him to miss the club’s opening games. His absence has been felt on the blue line, where he established himself as a reliable top-pairing right-shot defender.

In 81 games last season, Zub recorded 30 points, finished plus-22, blocked 120 shots, and anchored the penalty kill. Restoring that stability would give the Senators a sturdier defensive foundation as they move through the early schedule.

Zub was not the only player making progress. Forwards André Burakovsky and Kurtis MacDermid also skated in regular jerseys, per insider Graeme Nichols, suggesting both are close to rejoining the lineup.

Burakovsky arrived in Ottawa via a summer trade with the Chicago Blackhawks and has been out with an upper-body injury since camp.

The skilled winger posted 33 points in 75 games with Chicago last year and brings secondary scoring that the Senators have lacked.

Reports from Claie Hanna of TSN indicate Burakovsky is expected to make his team debut tonight against the Nashville Predators, skating on the top line alongside Tim Stützle and Drake Batherson.

MacDermid, the 6-foot-5 physical presence acquired from the New Jersey Devils last season, has been dealing with his own upper-body ailment that placed him on the injured non-roster list to begin the year.

His return would add size and edge to the bottom of the forward group.

None of the three has an official timetable for game action, and participation in practice remains a step removed from actual competition. Still, the collective progress arrives at a useful moment.

Ottawa has managed a 3-1-0 start even without them, relying on depth while the regulars recover. Zub’s eventual return would reinforce a blue line that has leaned on its supporting pieces, while Burakovsky and MacDermid would help a forward corps still searching for its full complement.

If the current trajectory continues, the Senators could regain all three contributors in the near future, providing a timely lift as the season advances.