Senators’ Nick Cousins sidelined after knee-on-knee with Maple Leafs’ Jacob Quillan

Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Ottawa Senators will be without center Nick Cousins for the immediate future following his knee-on-knee collision Saturday with Toronto Maple Leafs center Jacob Quillan.

“It’s just an unfortunate play. Two guys kind of hit each other knee-on-knee, and he’s going to be out for a little while,” Senators head coach Travis Green told reporters postgame.

The play occurred less than seven minutes into the opening frame, coming on the second shift of the game for Cousins, who was forced to exit due to injury. Quillan, who was making his NHL debut, remained in the contest and ultimately wrapped up the night with 5:21 in ice time and one hit in the 2-1 road loss.

Skating in his first season with the Senators, Cousins has made 47 appearances in which he has recorded five goals and eight assists for 13 points alongside 39 penalty minutes. Signing a one-year, $800,000 deal with Ottawa in unrestricted free agency, Cousins joined the Senators after helping the Atlantic Division rival Florida Panthers capture their first-ever Stanley Cup championship last spring.

In all, Cousins has seen 639 total appearances counting stops with the Philadelphia Flyers, the former Arizona Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators, Panthers, and Senators in which he has tallied 76 goals and 117 assists for 193 points alongside 351 penalty minutes. Cousins was originally chosen by the Flyers in the third round of the 2011 NHL Draft.

In defeating the Maple Leafs, the Senators improved to 25-20-4 on the season to move within one point of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final wildcard seed in the Eastern Conference. A strong second half of the 2024-25 campaign could see the Senators punch their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs remain atop the Atlantic Division with 62 points. Riding a two-game losing streak, Toronto will have an opportunity to return to the win column when it hosts the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday.