Senators’ Nick Cousins Out At Least One Week

Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins will miss between seven and 10 days of action with an undisclosed injury sustained on a crushing hit from Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun, per Bruce Garrioch of Ottawa Citizen. Chychrun delivered the high-speed hit with three minutes left in Tuesday’s matchup, sending Cousins airborne and briefly knocking him unconscious, head coach Travis Green told Garrioch. That detail could point towards a concussion being the resulting injury, though the team did not specify.

Cousins played in 12 minutes of Tuesday’s overtime loss before he was knocked out. He recorded two penalty minutes, two hits, and a minus-one. He has continued to bring a bruising presence to the fourth-line in his third season with the Senators. Cousins leads the team with 44 penalty minutes through 19 games – nearly double the 24 minutes recorded in eight games by Hayden Hodgson in second-place. Cousins has also recorded three points, a minus-five, and 42 hits.

The 33-year-old forward has never been known for flashy scoring. He reached just 23 points in 81 games with Ottawa last year – a mark that falls perfectly in-line with his average scoring per 82 games across 742 appearances, and 13 seasons, in the NHL. He holds onto a lineup role with his physical presence, leaving a unique hole in the Senators lineup.

With Hodgson already skating, it will be winger Sammy Blais who comes down from the press box to fill Cousins’ absence. Blais has only appeared in two games this season, recording two penalty minutes and six hits. He recorded a career-high 25 points and 238 hits during the 2022-23 season, which he split between the New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues. Blais could get an extended look in the lineup with five games on Ottawa’s schedule over the next 10 days.