SENSNEWS

Artem Zub Injury Status

Artem Zub suffered a minor injury following the Senators 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Zub collided heads with Senators forward Vladimir Tarasenko in the final minute of the game and missed the Senator’s first overseas practice as a result.

Fans will remember that Artem Zub recently returned from a concussion injury that sidelined him for seven games. Zub likely had a minor aggravation of this injury following the collision with Vladimir Tarasenko. Coach DJ Smith provided an update on Artem Zub ahead of the Senator’s first game in Sweden against the Detroit Red Wings.

Smith mentioned that Zub would be a full participant in practice, and the team would gauge how he was feeling. Zub was able to complete the entire practice, which is promising for his chances of playing against the Red Wings. Unless there is a game-day update, it sounds like Artem Zub will be in the lineup against Detroit.

Sens Looking To Add On Defence

The Senator’s blue line has seen its fair share of injuries to start the season. The most notable being Thomas Chabot, who is still rehabbing a fractured hand suffered against the New York Islanders. With all this manpower lost to the injury bug, the Senators are looking to add a depth piece for some defensive stability.

Elliot Friedman discussed that the Senators have been asking around the league to explore their options. Some have speculated if they have been in discussion with the Calgary Flames about any of the pending UFA’s Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, or Noah Hanifin. Given the strength of the Senator’s blue line when fully healthy, I wouldn’t expect any of these players to be on the Sens’s radar, especially given the salary involved.

The most likely scenario is that the Senators are looking to acquire a veteran bottom-pair defender for a mid to late-draft pick. Some possible names to watch include Matt Benning (SJS) and Pierre-Olivier Joseph (PIT).

Pierre-Olivier Joseph is a very interesting name that the Senators could look at. Pierre-Olivier is the younger brother of Mathieu Joseph, who has had an outstanding season so far for the Senators. Joseph has had trouble finding ice time in Pittsburgh this season and has been a healthy scratch in a handful of games. The 24-year-old could be a more than serviceable depth defender with the potential to play some secondary power play time if injuries occur.

As for the cap room involved, Joseph only counts for $825,000 against the cap this season, while Benning counts for $1.25M. With a fully healthy roster, the Senators would need to move some money out, which would likely mean someone like MacEwen would find himself on the other side of a trade.

Mads Søgaard Adds To AHL Resume

The Belleville Senators have had a slow start to the season as a team, but the goaltending duo of Mads Søgaard and Leevi Merilainen has been outstanding. Søgaard has started in 8 games for the Belleville Sens this season and has an exceptional .923 SV% with a 2.35 GAA. He has been a much-needed rock for the Belleville Senators this season, who have struggled to score so far.

Søgaard’s strong play earned him the goaltender of the month award in the AHL for the month of October. Søgaard appeared in 5 games for the Senators in October and exited with a record of 3-1. Søgaard dominated the month in the crease with a .944 SV% and a 1.73 GAA.

If the duo of Søgaard and Merilainen continue playing the way they have, the Senators will be set goaltending-wise for the present and future.