A shortened training camp and a growing injury list have left Ottawa unsure who will skate in Saturday’s preseason split against Montreal, with key defencemen and forwards sidelined or limited.
Top defenceman Jake Sanderson missed his sixth straight practice and has not played in any preseason games so far.
Several regulars — including Artem Zub, Thomas Chabot, Shane Pinto and Warren Foegele — are limited or absent, complicating lineup decisions.
Coach Travis Green said the staff must weigh readiness over results and is uncertain who will be available for the split-squad games.
# What happened Saturday's preseason split-squad games against the Montreal Canadiens. The session highlighted who was missing as much as who was on the ice: a growing number of players were injured, taking maintenance days or not skating with the group.
# Who's affected
# Why this matters The Senators used 13 different defencemen last season. That depth drain on the blue line was a problem the team wants to avoid repeating. A string of defensive injuries during camp reduces the coaching staff's ability to test combinations and gives less clarity as they prepare for the regular-season opener.
# What the coach said Coach Travis Green acknowledged the difficulty in assembling lineups when so many players are limited. "A lot of guys probably haven't played enough, to be honest," he said. "We've still got to figure out what's best: Whether to play a full team or a partial one. At the end of the day, it's not about winning and losing at this time of the year, it's about getting yourself ready for Game 1."
Green added that the staff is taking multiple factors into consideration and isn't 100 percent sure who will suit up. He specifically mentioned wanting to see Sanderson and Chabot get into a game.
# What to watch next
# Bottom line
The Senators defeated the Canadiens on home ice, but lost the split-squad contest in Montreal.
HABS 3, SENATORS 2 (OT) The road to opening night started for the Ottawa Senators on Monday. The Senators opened their preseason schedule on the Kraft Hockeyville stage with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in front of more than 4,000 fans at the Centre Vidéotron in Trois-Rivières. Dylan Cozens and William
Artem Zub and Warren Foegele won't participate fully as camp opens, which means Ottawa could bring in a free agent on a PTO, possibly Ben Hutton
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The Ottawa Senators have had a number of franchise faces since their inception in 1992. Many fans ask common questions about their teams as to who would be their prospective…
Hours away from NHL teams submitting their 23-man rosters, a few young players and one veteran are forcing the coaching staff to make some tough decisions.
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