Senators defenseman Artem Zub expected to return after All-Star break

There’s some good news and bad news on the injury front for Ottawa.  On the positive side, TSN’s Claire Hanna relays that defenseman Artem Zub is expected to be ready to return after the All-Star break.  

It has been a tough year on the ice for the 27-year-old who has been limited to just 21 games this season while missing time with three separate injuries, the current one being an upper-body issue.  

It hasn’t been all bad, however, as he inked a four-year, $18.4M extension with the Senators last month.

Meanwhile, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relays that goaltender Cam Talbot might not be ready to return after the break. He suffered a lower-body injury last Wednesday and it’s the second time this season that injuries have held him out of the lineup.  

If the Senators are going to climb back into the playoff race, they’ll need him healthy while if they’re going to try to move him by the March 3 trade deadline, he’ll need to get back and show potential suitors that he’s ready to go.