Senators Face Tough Road Without Chabot for Rest of Regular Season

Following their fourth straight win, the Ottawa Senators remain red hot. As such, the timing of the bad news on the injury front makes it feel like the team can’t catch a break. The Senators just learned they will have to navigate the final stretch of the 2025-26 regular season without one of their most important defensemen, Thomas Chabot.

---

Chabot is sidelined with a broken forearm, and he underwent surgery on Thursday to repair the injury. The timeline is four to eight weeks, meaning he will likely miss the first round of the playoffs if the Senators secure a spot.

The injury occurred when he took a cross-check from New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller late in Monday’s 2-1 victory. It was clear right away that something was wrong, and head coach Travis Green confirmed that Chabot is expected to miss 4-8 weeks, with most reports pointing toward 6-8 weeks.

With only 11 games remaining, the Senators will have to try to keep pace without one of their top blueliners. From there, should the Senators qualify for the playoffs — they hold the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference — Chabot would likely miss the entire first round and potentially part of the second round as well.

This is not good news, particularly given that the Senators are now playing without Chabot and d-men Jake Sanderson and Nick Jensen, all of whom regularly see minutes in the top four.

Can the Senators Keep Their Run Going?

Without Chabot and his strong puck-moving ability, the Senators will have to lean more heavily on other defensemen and call up reinforcements from the AHL’s Belleville Senators. The question becomes, how long is that sustainable?

And, if they get in, what are their chances against a strong Eastern Conference? If the playoffs started today, a first-round matchup between the Senators and Carolina Hurricanes would be a daunting test for Ottawa.

Carolina, led by Rod Brind’Amour, is known for their ability to control play and generate relentless pressure. You need a strong defense to combat that, a clear weakness now for Ottawa.

The Senators still have Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle, but injuries on their blue line would make a matchup with the Hurricanes a challenge. With Chabot and Jensen out, and Jake Sanderson still returning to form, their blue line could be stretched thin.

Add in Carolina’s playoff experience, and the underdog is clearly the Senators.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Yakemchuk’s Debut, Jarry, and Dman Trade Rumours