Senators’ Zub likely to miss start of regular season with knee injury

The Ottawa Senators are getting set to embark on a crucial season in the development of their core, as they look to build on two consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff appearances with no series wins to show for their efforts.

It looks like the Senators will have to start that journey without one of their most important players, as head coach Travis Green told reporters, including TSN’s Bruce Garrioch, that defenseman Artem Zub is unlikely to be ready to start the season.

Zub is still dealing with a knee injury that he suffered during Ottawa’s loss in the first round of the 2026 postseason at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.

A 30-year-old right-shot blueliner, Zub has been a mainstay on the Senators’ defensive unit, showing excellent chemistry on the team’s top pairing alongside star Jake Sanderson. Known primarily for his defensive ability, Zub reached new heights last season from an offensive production standpoint as he posted a career-high 30 points on 5 goals and 26 assists in his 81 appearances.

With Zub on the ice at 5-on-5 last season, Ottawa controlled 51.58 percent of the expected goals and 51.67 percent of the high-danger scoring chances

The Russian has had struggles with availability prior to last season, as he skated in just 53, 69 and 56 games in the three preceding regular seasons before 2025-26.

Fortunately for Green, the Sens have quality options on the right side behind Zub, with another defensive dynamo in Jordan Spence on the roster along with highly-touted prospect Carter Yakemchuk.

The Senators have four preseason games remaining, including two Wednesday night in a split-squad set against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Sens will face the Leafs once again on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Scotiabank Arena to get their 84-game schedule underway.