The Thomas Chabot injury news came on Monday: the Senators captain will miss one to two weeks with an upper-body injury, the Ottawa Citizen reported. That rules him out of Wednesday’s game against Florida, the night Brady Tkachuk returns to Ottawa. Jake Sanderson comes back from his own injury and takes Chabot’s place in the lineup.
Chabot left Saturday’s 3-1 loss in Philadelphia early. He played 12:03, and his last shift ended at 18:33 of the second period, according to the NHL’s shift chart. Sportsnet, TSN and Daily Faceoff all carried the same one-to-two-week timeline.
How the Thomas Chabot injury happened
It was not a new problem. Coach Travis Green said it was an injury Chabot had been dealing with going into the Flyers game, according to the Citizen, and the club wants him rested until he is fully healthy. The Senators have not described it beyond an upper-body injury.
The loss was Philadelphia’s first win of the season, after a winless start, and it ended Linus Ullmark’s six-game winning run. Our Ullmark injury story covers his own scare earlier in the month.
What Ottawa lose without their captain
Minutes, mostly. Chabot leads Ottawa’s defence at 25:19 a night, ahead of Jordan Spence at 22:23, and he has one goal and three assists in nine games. He was named captain on 29 September, after the Tkachuk trade, and our story on his captaincy explains why he got the C.
The blue line was already stretched. The Citizen counts 10 defencemen used by Ottawa this season, and the Senators are 6-3-0 going into the home stand.
Jake Sanderson injury: back on Wednesday
Sanderson has not played since the opener in Toronto on 3 October, when he aggravated a lower-body injury from the preseason and lasted 4:29. He missed the next eight games. He told reporters on Monday that he will play against Florida, and admitted he may have come back too early the first time, according to the Citizen.
He is the like-for-like replacement. Sanderson led Ottawa’s defence in ice time last season, at close to 25 minutes a night, so his return softens the blow.
Games Chabot could miss
| Date | Game | Start |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 21 Oct | vs Florida | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Thu 22 Oct | vs San Jose | 7 p.m. ET |
| Sat 24 Oct | vs NY Rangers | 7 p.m. ET |
| Tue 27 Oct | at Vegas | 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) |
| Thu 29 Oct | at Los Angeles | 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) |
A one-to-two-week absence covers the home stand against Florida, San Jose and the Rangers, and could stretch into the trip to Vegas and Los Angeles. Wednesday is also Tkachuk’s first game back in Ottawa, and our Tkachuk return preview has the full story of the trade four months on.
ESPN’s injury list also has Ottawa without William Eklund and Kurtis MacDermid. Every club’s list is on our NHL injury report, updated twice a day.
For bettors, a missing No. 1 defenceman can move a game line, so check the confirmed lineups first. Our Stanley Cup odds page has Ottawa’s futures. Odds may change. 19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC). Please play responsibly.
Thomas Chabot injury FAQs
An upper-body injury. Coach Travis Green said it was one he had been dealing with before the 17 October game in Philadelphia, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
One to two weeks, as reported on 19 October 2026 by the Ottawa Citizen, Sportsnet and TSN.
No. He is out of Wednesday’s game against Florida on 21 October, the night Brady Tkachuk returns to Ottawa.
Wednesday, 21 October, against Florida. He has not played since the season opener on 3 October.
Jake Sanderson takes his place, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC) | Please play responsibly | Statistics are the NHL’s | Injury statuses as listed by ESPN on 20 October | ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON); your province’s helpline is on our gambling awareness page.