Ottawa Senators Minute-Muncher Defenceman Placed on IR

Ottawa Senators Workhorse Defenceman Thomas Chabot has Been Placed on IR

From the game he got injured, not long after his return from injury, we could tell at one spot that something wasn’t right. It was during the San Jose Shark game. Chabot even tried it again later in the game, and couldn’t go. The Sens Head Athletic Trainer Domenic Nicoletta was having some serious conversations with Chabot. Plus by the way Chabot was grimacing, you could tell then that something wasn’t 100%.

So far in 2025-26, Chabot has managed 18 of the Sens 24 games played. He’s up to 10 points and plays, on average, 21:55 of ice time a game. Meanwhile, last season, he was among the leaders in 5v5 scoring in the NHL. The chemistry with he and Jensen was incredible. Again this year, that pairing is second in time-on-ice together, behind only the well-established Sanderson and Zub duo. One final point, is that throughout his career with the Senators, he is at 23:46 of average ice time.

What’s the Situation for the Chabot-Less Senators

One thing, as Elliotte Friedman likes to say, the best predictor of future behaviour is the past evidence. (Or something to that effect). We knew injuries would pop up on the backend, that’s why the Sens acquired Jordan Spence in the offseason.

The only problem, he’s a right hand shot. This has been a topic of contention within the Sens community. First, they went from a position of weakness, and although the high-end skill still lacks, their NHL depth does not. So, the right side includes Artem Zub, Nick Jensen, Nikolas Matinpalo, and Spence. The first three of which were the Sens right side come Stanley Cup playoff time in 2025. Furthermore, this allowed someone like Max Guenette to be expendable, as there really wasn’t room for him. He was ready for the next step, but Ottawa (or Belleville if you’d rather) couldn’t provide him that opportunity. Also, it allows top prospect Carter Yakemchuk time to season in the AHL this year.

On the other side of the ledger, and what the absence of Chabot has exposed, is that the left side may be strong, but it lacks NHL-calibre.

What Does It All Mean

Even though the recent talk of rumours for the Ottawa Senators has focused on the top-six forward group. Furthermore, it is specifically a winger, one that can help the goal-scoring column of the stat sheet. Durability too, is a necessity if we are discussing help in a deep post-season run.

The idea is, with the extra accountability around Ottawa led by general manager Steve Staios, they had options coming into the season. Having a few million dollars in cap space, was an asset for Ottawa. They knew their lineup was not without some potential gaps. Not necessarily weaknesses, but spots were there was uncertainty. Currently, the Sens have $3.26 million salary cap space. However, given the pro-rated style of the cap, that allows for $15.5 million of cap space at the trade deadline. That’s why you see the Florida Panthers acquire to add to stars (Seth Jones and Brad Marchand). Of course, antagonists may suggest they were more so long-term injured reserve cap relief pirates of the circumnavigators.

The forwards weren’t sure if they had the scoring efficiency. That continues to be, not a problem, just a question mark. Goaltending came in with a very inexperienced Leevi Merilainen as the main backup. Risky, yes, but one that has, so far, paid off. Finally, defence, the question was, and still remains, would they be able to overcome injuries. You know you are missing 10-20% of man games due to injuries anyway, an effect that can be extenuated on the backend.

This Sens team is trying to take ultimate advantage of the NHL’s Atlantic Division being up for grabs. Now, it may not end that way, but with the Toronto Maple Leafs currently seventh in the divisional seedings, you can tell there’s something different.