When I used to play video games as a wee SensChirp, I used to love franchise mode. The idea of signing and trading for players and trying to build a contender was always so interesting.
Except one of the first things I would always do is scroll down that list of settings and turn off injuries. Because honestly, injuries ruin everything.
The Ottawa Senators are finding that out the hard way in the early going this season.
Days after learning they’ll be without their number once centre for three to five months and a couple weeks after losing one of their goalies, the Sens are now down a key piece on the blueline.
Artem Zub is expected to miss one to two weeks with an upper-body injury he suffered in Thursday night’s game against the Minnesota Wild.
It’s obviously a tough loss for the Senators as Artem Zub is one of the team’s most consistent defenceman and a key piece of blueline that is already pretty thin. And with games against the Panthers, Lightning and Golden Knights coming up, the Senators really needed all hands on deck.
Dillon Heatherington has been recalled from Belleville and is expected to join the team on their trip to Florida this weekend.
While some fans were eager to see Jacob Bernard-Docker or Lassi Thomson get the call, it’s likely the team wanted to avoid having one of those two guys here as the seventh defenceman. They’ll both get looks at the NHL level over the course of a long season.
The Ottawa Senators visit the Florida Panthers tomorrow at 4:00 PM.
