Senators Defenseman Finally Healthy After Two Years

The Ottawa Senators top blue-liner has been quietly battling injury over the past two seasons.

Oct 11, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot (72) reacts against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / James Guillory-Imagn Images

Hockey players can often go months, if not years, battling an injury without publicly saying so, and Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot is the newest member of that club.

During a team event on Monday, Chabot revealed that he's been playing through a wrist issue for "the better part of two years." However, he finally addressed it over the summer, and expects to be back to 100 percent for this season.

Thomas Chabot admitted he's been dealing with a wrist issue for the better part of two years. This summer, he took care of it and now feels 100%

— TSN 1200 (@TSN1200) September 9, 2024

The 27-year-old defenseman played just 51 games last season, scoring nine goals and 30 points while averaging 23:03 of ice time. Injuries have been a theme for Chabot unfortunately, as he hasn't played 70 games since the 2019-20 season and has yet to play all 82 games in any single season.

His best season came in 2018-19, when he had 14 goals and 55 points while averaging 24:17 of ice time in just his second full season.

Still, the 2015 first-round pick remains a big piece of the Senators' blue-line, especially after their moves this offseason. Ottawa traded Jakob Chychrun to the Ottawa Senators in July, receving only a third-round pick and Nick Jensen, who's expected to be Chabot's partner on the back end, in return. Chabot and youngster Jake Sanderson, are expected to eat up heavy minutes on the blue line, and they'll have to be at the top of their game for the team to succeed.

Ottawa is in the midst of a seven-year playoff drought, and by extension, Chabot has never appeared in a postseason game. He and the Senators will look to end that unfortunate streak this season, though they'll have to go through the brutal Atlantic division to do so. Maybe, just maybe, him returning to full health could push the Senators over the top.

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