With the surprising return of Thomas Chabot (forearm), Crotty will be the odd man out of Ottawa's lineup as a healthy scratch. The 26-year-old Crotty recently made his season debut with Ottawa, averaging 14:47 time-on-ice and tallying one assist in four games.
Currently sitting in the second Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference, the Senators control their own fate and will attempt to inch closer to securing a ticket to the postseason on Thursday, with Ullmark tending the twine against the Florida Panthers. The 32-year-old Swedish goalie had an abysmal showing in a game last week against the Panthers, exiting late in the first period after allowing five goals on 16 shots (.688 SV%) in an eventual 6-3 loss. That said, he has rebounded in four games since (3-1-0), posting a 2.50 GAA and .903 SV%. The Senators enter Thursday's contest as sizeable -284 home favourites against an injury-depleted Panthers team on a three-game losing streak (0-2-1).
Only two weeks into his initial four-to-eight week recovery timeline after undergoing surgery, Chabot will make a surprising return to Ottawa's lineup on Thursday against the Florida Panthers. With Ottawa's playoff hopes on the line, they will up their chances of securing a spot in the postseason with the 29-year-old Chabot, who has 31 points (7G / 24A) in 55 games this season.
With a myriad of injuries on Ottawa's blueline, Yakemchuk was recalled from Belleville (AHL) and made an unexpected NHL debut this season. The 20-year-old, seventh-overall pick from the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, scoring two points (1G / 1A) in four games with Ottawa, but with healthy bodies drawing back into the lineup, he will return to Belleville (AHL).
Chabot is about two weeks into his four-to-eight week recovery timeline after undergoing surgery, but has back at practice in a limited capacity on Tuesday. The 29-year-old defenseman has 31 points (7G / 24A) in 55 games this season and is unlikely to suit up before the playoffs.
The Senators currently occupy the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, but remain in an ultra-tight battle, and will turn to Ullmark on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 32-year-old Ullmark was serviceable on Sunday, saving 25 of 28 shots (.893 SV%) in a pivotal 6-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. That said, he has battled some inconsistencies lately, losing three of his last five (2-2-1), posting a concerning 3.70 GAA and .876 SV%. The Senators enter Tuesday's contest as -127 home favourites against a Lightning team that lost 4-2 last night to the Buffalo Sabres.
Ullmark turned aside 21 of 22 shots in the Senators win over the Sabres on Thursday. The win snapped a brief two-game losing skid for Ullmark, who has won seven of his last 11 starts (7-3-1) while posting a 2.64 GAA and .897 SV%. This afternoon he'll face a Minnesota team that has los six of their last 10 (4-5-1) while averaging just 2.7 goals per game.
The Senators are already without three blueline regulars in Jake Sanderson (upper body), Nick Jensen (knee), and Thomas Chabot (upper body), and added Kleven to the list on Thursday. The 24-year-old Kleven has seen a massive uptick in playing time as a result of team injuries, but exited Thursday's 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres early in the first period after taking a puck to the face.
Sanderson was labeled as week-to-week when he suffered an upper-body injury in Seattle on March 7th, but appears to nearing a return. That said, he will miss at least one more game before he is cleared to play. With Ottawa's blueline being decimated with injuries, the team will be eager to welcome their top defenseman back into the lineup as soon as possible.
With the recent injury to Carter Yakemchuk (concussion), Crotty will be the next defenseman up for an injury-depleted Ottawa blueline. The 26-year-old Crotty only has two games of NHL experience. He has seven points (3G / 7A) this season in 49 games with Belleville (AHL).
Injuries to Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot recently awarded Yakemchuk a call-up from Belleville (AHL) to make his NHL debut and see steady deployment on Ottawa's top powerplay unit. That said, the 20-year-old Yakemchuk's presence in Ottawa's lineup will be halted at least temporarily due to a concussion. He has two points (1G / 1A) in four games this season.
Ullmark will look to rebound when he returns to the crease on Thursday against his former team, the Buffalo Sabres, after a brutal performance in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers, being pulled late in the first period after allowing five goals on 16 shots (.688 SV%). The Senators will hope Ullmark's recent blip was a one-off, considering he entered that game having posted a stellar 2.18 GAA and .918 SV% in his previous six games (4-1-1). The Senators enter Thursday's contest as -117 home favourites against a Buffalo Sabres team coming off a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders.
The Senators' late-season battle for a Wild Card spot continues on Tuesday, with Ullmark tending the twine against the Florida Panthers. The 32-year-old Ullmark had an abysmal outing against Florida earlier this season, allowing six goals on 27 shots (.778 SV%) in a 6-2 loss, but he should be hopeful for a better result against a dejected and injury-depleted Panthers team. The Senators enter Tuesday's contest as -171 road favourites.
