Senators’ Thomas Chabot exits game for precautionary reasons
The Ottawa Senators skated away with a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, but not all of their players were there for the final horn.
Defenseman Thomas Chabot left the game early and did not return. No injury has been reported, with the team citing “precautionary reasons” for Chabot’s exit.
Thomas Chabot (precautionary reasons) will not return to tonight’s game. Thomas Chabot (mesures préventives) ne reviendra pas au jeu dans ce match.
Chabot, 29, has already missed 15 games this season with an upper-body injury. In 38 games played, he has five goals and 17 assists for 22 points, while averaging just under 22 minutes of ice time.
Last season, the Sainte-Marie, Quebec native put up nine goals and 36 assists for 45 points in 80 games.
Initially selected 18th overall by Ottawa in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Chabot joined the Senators on a full-time basis for the 2017-18 season. As a second-year player in 2018-19, he broke out with 14 goals and 41 assists for 55 points in 70 games while earning a trip to the All-Star game.
Whether it be injuries or any number of other reasons, Chabot has yet to match the production of his sophomore campaign. His best season since was last year’s 45-point effort.
Chabot is in the sixth season of an eight-year, $64 million contract with the Senators. The deal has a modified no-trade clause that kicked in last season and will carry through the end of the contract.
With 59 points through 54 games, Ottawa is currently in a three-way tie with the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs for sixth place in the Atlantic Division, though they do have a game in hand on their Ontario rivals. They are eight points back of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Prior to the NHL’s Olympic break, the Senators will head out on a three-game road trip beginning with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.