Defying medical timelines, Chabot returns from a broken arm in just 17 days, eager to help the Senators' playoff push.
If you hop on Google and ask the question, "How long does it take for a broken arm to heal?" you will not find a single response that reads "17 days."
But that's exactly how long it's been since New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller broke Thomas Chabot's arm with a cross-check, and now the Senators defenseman is somehow ready to return to the lineup on Thursday night as the Senators host the Florida Panthers.
After Chabot's third straight day of practice, Sens head coach Travis Green announced after the morning skate that Chabot would return to action, taking the place of Cam Crotty.
So how did Chabot do it?
"I guess the doctors should give you that answer," Chabot said. "A couple of plates, screws, and here we are. I mean, we got it moving pretty early and obviously, the first couple of days, you feel kind of rough and then a couple of days after, you feel like you get more range and strength and everything.
"And now we're at the point, two weeks in, that everybody feels comfortable. I've been skating a lot, probably four or five days, and there's nothing really holding me back. So I thought I wanted to go back out there and play hockey and help this team."
Green was asked by TSN's Claire Hanna if he thinks that Chabot was motivated to return because of the Senators' current situation, clinging to a two-point lead in the wild card race with just four games to play.
"Yeah. 100 percent. That's a big part of it," Green said.
So Chabot isn't rolling along at full strength just yet, but he was clear that he wouldn't come back if he wasn't feeling good or felt like he couldn't play his game. And to see him practice this week, there's truly no obvious sign of a problem. He looked like his old self in every way.
"The last couple days, everything we kind of built it up and every time I faced contact and what not everything reacted really well.
"So I was like, 'Why not?' Let's start playing again."
Chabot's return is welcome news for the Senators' blue line, which has been badly banged up in the past month, including the past 8 games without Chabot, the past 12 without Nick Jensen (LTIR), and a recent 13-game stretch without Jake Sanderson.
If his arm holds up okay, it only serves to further bolster the Senators' hopes of returning to the playoffs for the second straight year.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News