We are told that the recovery time is two to three months.
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Thomas Chabot will likely spend at least part of his offseason recovering from surgery.
The Ottawa Senators’ top defenseman told reporters during his exit interview 48 hours after the season ended on April 16 that going under the knife this spring after an injury-filled season had not been ruled out and that there is a strong possibility of that happening in the next few weeks.
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League sources told Postmedia on Tuesday that Chabot, 27, the longest-serving player on Ottawa’s roster and the club’s alternate captain, is finalizing details to undergo a procedure in the near future to resolve a wrist issue he’s been dealing with for almost two seasons. .
We’re told the recovery time is two to three months and he’ll be ready in enough time for training camp to open in September and this shouldn’t get in the way of the normal work he does. the offseason to prepare for the season.
“I have to deal with some things that we have to take care of,” Chabot said April 18 at the Canadian Tire Center when asked if he would suit up for Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF men’s world championship. “My main goal is be healthy and ready to go.
“As I said, it has been a difficult year, there have been a lot of things, but next year will be a great season for all of us as players. “That’s what I need to take care of and make sure I’m completely ready to go.”
Chabot is coming off an injury-plagued season and is determined to be at 100 percent to try to help this club make the playoffs next spring. He would have been a candidate to play against Canada if he was healthy.
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He suited up for just 51 games this season, but still played a key role with nine goals and 30 points while averaging 23 minutes of ice time per game.
Chabot missed 10 games with a hand injury he suffered on Oct. 28 and then was out another month when he suffered a leg injury just two games after returning on Dec. 5. That kept him out another 10 games and he was placed under a long-term injury. reserve.
On March 7, Chabot limped off the Anaheim ice and missed five games. Chabot then returned for six games and missed another four because the ailment recurred. He opted to play the club’s final six games because he wanted to see some action.
When asked on the day of departure if he was going to have surgery, Chabot then indicated that no decision had been made. He has been wearing taping on his wrist for the past few years and is no stranger to playing through pain.
“Not that I know of yet,” he said. “To be honest, it’s still a work in progress and we’re still looking at different things.”
Now the club’s medical staff have taken a closer look with specialist advice and believe this is the best way forward to ensure this does not continue to hamper Chabot.
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Fixing this wrist issue is important to allow Chabot, who has suited up for 432 games with the Senators, to come to camp with a completely clean slate.
GOING BACK TO WORK IN BELLEVILLE
The Belleville Senators will begin the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs on Wednesday night at CAA Arena.
After defeating the archrival Toronto Marlies in the first round on Sunday with a 4-3 overtime victory, the Senators, Ottawa’s American Hockey League affiliate, returned to the ice Tuesday in Belleville to prepare to face the Cleveland Monsters in the best game. of five series.
The Senators went 1-3-0 against the Monsters during the regular season. Belleville’s only victory was a 2-1 overtime decision on November 12 at home.
The last time both teams met was in mid-December in Cleveland.
“We’re moving on and we’ve grown a lot as a team since the last time we played them,” said Belleville forward Garrett Pilon, who won the Calder Cup last spring with the Hershey Bears, and scored the game-winning goal Sunday. “We need to figure out how to play against them and come out on top.”
While it was exciting for the Senators to win a playoff series for the first time in team history by defeating the Marlies, Belleville has to turn the page and focus on the challenge ahead. The Monsters have home field advantage in the North Division semifinal.
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“(Cleveland) was in first place all year until Columbus was decimated by injuries,” Senators coach David Bell said. “They are deep, they have exceptional goaltending and depth. “They don’t play a flashy game, but they play a smart, confident game.”
Cleveland goalie Jet Greaves is coming off a solid season with a 30-12-4 record in 46 appearances with the Monsters. He posted a 2.93 goals-against average with a solid .910 save percentage.
But Belleville goalie Mads Sogaard, coming off a career playoff series win, has also had a good year. He posted a 2.45 GAA and a .916 save percentage in the regular season with a record of 18-9-3 in 32 games.
Against the Marlies, Sogaard, 22, struggled with consistency, but the win over the Leafs should cheer him up.
If you have questions, Postmedia hockey columnists Bruce Garrioch and Tim Baines are more than happy to answer them.
We’ll be posting columns in the mailbag from time to time during the offseason just to keep the good people of Ottawa and Senators fans around the world informed of what’s going on.
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