Senators Defenseman Exits Practice with Lower-Body Injury

With Hamonic set to miss several weeks combined with Jensen's potential injury, the last thing the Senators need is to lose Bernard-Docker for any amount of time. Travis Green's team is in the mix for an Eastern Conference wild-card spot and any long-term injury could be detrimental to their postseason outlook. 

Bernard-Docker was selected 26th overall by the Senators at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The Banff, Alberta native has frequently shown two-way potential throughout his career, however, he didn't get the chance to be a full-time NHL player until the 2023-24 campaign. 

The current season has been a mixed bag for Bernard-Docker, to say the least. 

He made frequent mistakes early in the campaign, forcing Green to shelter his minutes on the third pairing. The former North Dakota product's performance has improved as the season has continued, though, resulting in one goal, three assists, 25 blocked shots, 21 hits and a plus-2 plus/minus rating in 25 games. 

The good news for the Senators is that their situation could be worse. While losing Bernard-Docker and Hamonic (and potentially Jensen again) will hurt, fellow right-handed defenseman Artem Zub returned to the club last week following a 16-game absence. 

The Senators also recalled RHD Nikolas Matinpalo on Monday morning. The Finnish blueliner has 10 points in 24 games in the American Hockey League this season and made his 2024-25 NHL debut in Ottawa's 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 29.

If Senators general manager Steve Staois isn't happy with his internal options, he could always search the trade market for help ahead of the March 7 deadline.  

More will likely be known about Bernard-Docker's injury in the coming days. For now, the Senators will turn their focus toward Tuesday's road game against the Detroit Red Wings, which will air on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.