As bad luck and injuries go, Chabot is giving Josh Norris a run for his money.
Ottawa Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot can't seem to catch a break. His injury luck isn't as bleak as teammate Josh Norris's has been, but it's getting close.
This year, the injuries and his absences have been piling up. The longest-serving active Senator has played just 38 of Ottawa's 60 games this season. Chabot had surgery on his wrist in the off-season and missed all of November with a hand injury.
Now, for the third time this season, he's been sidelined by an injury again. This time it's a lower-body issue, suffered in the dying moments of last night's game in Anaheim.
With the Ducks breaking out of their zone, ready to shoot at Ottawa's empty net, Chabot didn't give up on the play and, as he hustled back, he awkwardly tried to stop Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano. Chabot took a holding penalty and suffered the injury in the process of what almost looked a failed judo throw.
The timing is unfortunate as Chabot's compete level and skating have noticeably improved in the last few weeks. That's not to say that he's playing at the level of an $8 million-a-year NHL defenceman, but he has been solid and contributing.
Former head coach D.J. Smith leaned heavily on Chabot over the last four and a half years. Too heavily, as some observers might suggest. After Chabot's second injury this season back in December, Smith had high praise for the defender's resilience.
"I've said openly that Chabot is as tough a player as I've coached," Smith said, two weeks before his firing. "When people say 'tough', they think about fighting or whatever. This is the second injury (Chabot) has had this year where he's played through the game and then eventually they have to pull you out. He's a tough kid. He wants to help this team win. It's unfortunate."
To backfill during Chabot's absence, the Senators have called up defenceman Max Guenette from Belleville. Winger Jiri Smejkal has also joined the team after Matthew Highmore suffered an apparent shoulder injury last night.
No recovery timelines have been announced for either player but head coach Jacques Martin told the media this morning they won't play again on this road trip.