The Ottawa Senators get a welcome injection on Thursday as defenseman Thomas Chabot returns to the lineup against the Florida Panthers, just 17 days after suffering a fractured right forearm.
Chabot's comeback beats the initial recovery estimate of four to eight weeks following surgery on March 26. The injury occurred on March 23 when he was cross-checked by forward JT Miller during a game against the New York Rangers. He exited that game in the first period and was expected to miss the remainder of the regular season. Instead, he missed only eight games.
The 29-year-old practiced in a full-contact jersey in the morning, confirming his readiness. Ottawa later officially announced his availability: “He's back,” the Senators wrote on X. “17 days after suffering a broken arm Chabby is good to go tonight.” The team enters its final four regular-season games with a playoff spot on the line.
Ottawa holds a 41-27-10 record and 92 points, good for the second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference. The Senators sit two points ahead of the ninth-place Columbus Blue Jackets and control their playoff destiny, having secured tiebreakers over Columbus, the New York Islanders, and the Detroit Red Wings.
Without their longest-tenured skater, along with multiple injuries on defense, Ottawa has still managed a 4-3-1 record over the last eight games. Chabot has contributed 31 points (seven goals, 24 assists) in 55 games this season while averaging 22:34 of ice time per game, along with a +6 rating. Over his career, he has accumulated 335 points (78 goals, 257 assists) in 567 games since being selected 18th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He also earned All-Star honors in the 2018-19 season.
His return strengthens a defensive unit that recently regained Jake Sanderson but remains without Nick Jensen and Tyler Kleven due to injuries. The Senators' depth pairing of Nikolas Matinpalo and Lassi Thomson has performed efficiently, controlling 70.4% of expected goals at five-on-five in limited minutes.
With three of their final four games coming against non-playoff teams and playoff odds nearing 85% (per MoneyPuck), Chabot's early return arrives at a pivotal moment in Ottawa's postseason push.
