Last season, the Senators faced numerous injuries on their defensive roster, which even led to calling up two rookies, Carter Yakemchuk and Jorian Donovan, on the same night for their NHL debuts during a crucial game in Detroit in March. The injury woes continued into the playoffs, with Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson sidelined during the first round against Carolina. When asked about his teammate William Eklund and the team’s preseason performance (as seen on Senators YouTube), Dylan Cozens discussed their efforts. Currently, both Sanderson and Zub are out again as the team prepares for their second preseason game.
However, these absences come with different contexts. Sanderson previously missed the end of the playoff series against Carolina due to a concussion, but Coach Travis Green referred to his current minor injury as less serious. Zub’s injury, in contrast, is significant; he is still recovering from an injury sustained in Game 1 against the Hurricanes and likely won’t be ready for the start of the regular season. Additionally, Jordan Spence and Donovan are also unavailable for Wednesday’s games, forcing the Sens to field their full roster against Toronto in split-squad matchups.
The Senators started preseason play Monday with a 3–2 overtime loss to the Canadiens in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. On Wednesday, their roster will be split between the Canadian Tire Centre and Scotiabank Arena, both games beginning at 7 p.m. against the Maple Leafs. In Ottawa’s lineup, Eklund, Cozens, and Fabian Zetterlund remained together during the morning skate. Other lines included Stephen Halliday centered between Claude Giroux and Nick Cousins, with Ridly Greig skating with Sammy Blais and Tyler Boucher. The defensive pairs featured Thomas Chabot with Hoyt Stanley, Ben Hutton with Cameron Crotty, and Tomas Hamara with Djibril Touré. The home team goaltenders were Linus Ullmark and Samuel Ersson, with Chabot available but potentially leaving to accompany his wife Marion, who is expecting their first child soon.
In Toronto, Tim Stützle centered a line with Andre Burakovsky and Drake Batherson. Shane Pinto skated between Philip Tomasino and Michael Amadio, with other lines including Luke Ellinas, Eskild Bakke Olsen, and Kasper Halttunen, as well as Oskar Petterson, Philippe Daoust, and Hayden Hodgson. Defensively, Tyler Kleven and Carter Yakemchuk teamed up, along with Samuel Bolduc and Nikolas Matinpalo, and Scott Harrington with Christian Kyrou. The goaltenders for Toronto were Leevi Meriläinen and Jackson Parsons. Zub’s ongoing absence creates an opening on the right side of Ottawa’s defense, giving 20-year-old Yakemchuk another chance to prove himself. Although he has had some inconsistent moments in camp, his stats hint that he might start the season with Ottawa. The Senators will again divide into two groups Saturday for back-to-back games against Montreal, concluding their five-game preseason. Wednesday’s matchups provide Coach Green a chance to evaluate some of his lower-line players under increased minutes and see which defensemen rise to the occasion.
Fan Take: This news highlights how crucial health and depth are for any team aiming for success, especially in a high-stakes NHL season. For hockey fans, it’s exciting to see young prospects like Yakemchuk have opportunities to step up, possibly shaping the team’s future and adding layers of intrigue to the regular season.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
