The Ottawa Senators have managed to keep winning despite a brutal run of injuries, but the bad news keeps piling up - and the latest blow may be the toughest yet. After Linus Ullmark went down against the Florida Panthers, the Senators are once again leaning hard on their depth while trying to hang around near the top of the Atlantic Division, where they are tied for second.
That resilience has become part of the story for this group. Even with key bodies missing, Ottawa has stayed competitive and kept finding ways to get results. Still, the injury picture is far from clean, and the status of several important players remains a concern.
Ullmark is the headline name on the list after he left the game against the Panthers following a hard shot from Brady Tkachuk in his return to Ottawa. He was placed on the IR on Oct. 22 and is expected to miss one to two weeks. Given how thin things look in goal without him, that timeline matters.
Thomas Chabot is also sidelined after an upper-body injury interrupted what had been a strong start to his season. The Senators’ captain has dealt with health issues at different points in his career, and this latest setback will keep him out short-term.
William Eklund’s injury is a tougher one to absorb. The offseason acquisition was brought in to help replace some of Tkachuk’s offence, but he suffered an ankle injury within the first 10 games of the season and required surgery. After successful surgery, he is expected to miss 10-12 weeks, with a return projected for somewhere in the early part of 2027.
Kurtis MacDermid is the other current absence, sitting on the IR-non-roster list since the start of the season. He is dealing with an upper-body injury, and there has been no further report on his status.
The good news for Ottawa is that the injury list has already thinned out in other spots. Artem Zub, Jake Sanderson, and Cameron Crotty have all come off IR and are back with the organization. Zub and Sanderson, in particular, have already made an immediate impact after returning.
Even so, the Senators’ biggest concern remains straightforward: if Ullmark is out longer than week-to-week, the drop-off in net is a major problem.
In Other News...
Senators Just Opened A Roster Decision Fans Should Watch
The Senators have opened a roster decision worth watching by placing winger Kurtis MacDermid on waivers after he recovered from an upper-body injury. A veteran in the final year of his deal, MacDermid has logged 307 NHL games across nine seasons and has filled a familiar depth role in recent years, mostly serving as a fourth-line enforcer when called upon.
If he passes through unclaimed, Ottawa will have a straightforward path to send him to the AHL and create some room on the books. For a team still sorting out the edges of its roster, that kind of move is less about headlines than flexibility, and it gives the Senators another lever to pull as they continue shaping the back end of the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Have A Big Opening Against A Rangers Team Running Thin
The Senators head into their matchup with the Rangers facing a familiar kind of early-season test, one that could tell them a lot about where the lineup stands after a few tweaks. Andreas Burakovsky is back in the fourth-line rotation, and captain Thomas Chabot was on the ice in a yellow non-contact jersey, a reminder that Ottawa is still managing some moving parts as it gets ready for a division opponent.
New York is dealing with its own issues, and the crease situation alone changes the feel of the game for Ottawa. With both Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick unavailable, the Rangers are expected to turn to Dylan Garand or Spencer Martin, which gives the Senators a chance to press an opening against a thin lineup and make their depth count in a game that could tilt quickly if they come out sharp. [Read more 🡒]