SENSNEWS

The Ottawa Senators have started their season off on the right foot, winning 3 of their first 4 games. However, the team has now encountered their first bumps on the long road of the NHL season. In the Sens’ 6-1 win over the Washington Capitals, Artem Zub was injured after taking a snapshot from Alex Ovechkin to the ear. The Ottawa Senators’ medical staff has provided an update on the Artem Zub injury, giving fans an idea of the timeline for his recovery. Check out all the latest Sens news below!

Artem Zub Injury

On Wednesday night, Artem Zub was forced to leave the game with an injury after this play.

Another look at the sequence where Artem Zub catches a puck up high, in the ear area. #Sens #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/jSluekRKAu

— Pesky Sickos (@PeskySickos) October 19, 2023

After the play, Zub was seen bleeding from his face/ear area. Such an incident is alarming for any NHL player but is especially concerning for Artem Zub, given his history of head injuries. Last season, Zub took a shot to the face against the New York Rangers, resulting in a broken jaw that sidelined him for months. Fortunately for Zub, this injury is not as severe.

Coach DJ Smith commented on Artem Zub’s injury at practice on Friday, stating that Zub would not be sidelined long-term. The official assessment is that Zub is day-to-day and is expected to return shortly. Smith also noted that Zub would miss Saturday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings but did not rule out his participation in Tuesday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.

Craig Anderson To Retire With Sens

After hinting at this rumor in the offseason, it now appears official that Craig Anderson will retire as a member of the Ottawa Senators. Darren Dreger recently reported that the Senators plan to sign Craig Anderson to a one-day contract soon. Anticipate Craig Anderson’s retirement ceremony taking place this Tuesday, during the game against the Buffalo Sabres.

Check out this excerpt from an old SensNews article.

The following photo was uploaded to the Napolis Stittsville restaurant’s Instagram account along with photos of Craig Anderson. While there has not yet been an official announcement by the Ottawa Senators organization, it seems to be all but certain that Craig Anderson will retire with the team. Anderson deserves to be honoured in front of Sens fans one last time, and he will most definitely receive a warm welcome when that time comes.

Zack MacEwen Placed On Waivers

After their game against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, forward Zack MacEwen was placed on waivers. On Friday, it was confirmed that MacEwen cleared waivers and would report to the Belleville Senators. Evidently, this move was made to enable the Ottawa Senators to recall a defenceman to fill Artem Zub’s place in the lineup.

Shane Pinto Contract Looming

The most drawn out story in recent memory for the Ottawa Senators is the Shane Pinto contract negotiations. With the limited cap space the Senators have, the only solution for the team is to ship someone out for cap, unless there is an LTIR candidate. As we patiently wait for a move to be made, Elliotte Friedman provided an update on how close things are to being complete with the Shane Pinto negotiations.

Recently on the Jeff Marek Show, Elliotte Friedman reported on where things stand with Shane Pinto. Friedman was quoted saying, “I think that one is going to sort itself out over the next few days, I do.” – Jeff Marek Show

This quote implies a couple of things for the Senators. First, a trade must be on the horizon if this contract situation is nearly sorted out. Friedman has consistently stated that he cannot envision Shane Pinto being traded, indicating that this ‘situation’ should be resolved through a contract agreement.

All the news regarding a potential trade has centered around Mathieu Joseph as the likely outgoing player. While Dominik Kubalik is another option for the Senators to trade in terms of salary range, there has been no indication that the team is considering moving him. Stay alert for a potential trade involving Mathieu Joseph or Erik Brannstrom in the near future.