Senators’ Thomas Chabot out day-to-day; Donovan Sebrango to make NHL debut

Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot will be out of the lineup on a day-to-day basis after taking a puck to the face in Tuesday’s 2-0 road win over the New York Islanders.

In Chabot’s absence, 22-year-old blue-liner Donovan Sebrango, who was recalled from the AHL’s Belleville Senators earlier Thursday, will make his NHL debut this evening against the NHL-leading Washington Capitals.

Chabot, who attended the Senators’ morning skate Thursday wearing a full face shield, has made 43 appearances in 2024-25 in which he has registered three goals and 16 assists for 19 points to sit second in scoring among Ottawa rearguards.

Originally chosen 18th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, Chabot has skated part of nine seasons with the Senators where through 475 career contests he has collected 65 goals and 213 assists for 278 points, underscored by his career-high 55-point finish coming in his sophomore season.

Per PuckPedia, Chabot is in the fifth year of an eight-year agreement that carries an $8-million annual average value.

For Sebrango, the 23-year-old Ottawa native has seen 28 showings with Belleville this season in which he has tallied three goals and 10 assists for 13 points with 42 penalty minutes. Originally chosen in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, Donovan joined the Senators in the 2023 offseason as part of the deal that sent right winger Alex DeBrincat to the Motor City.

In all, Sebrango has made 198 appearances over five seasons at the AHL level, split between between Belleville and the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings’ farm club, in which he has notched 38 points counting eight goals and 30 assists.

Entering Thursday’s contest against the Capitals, the Senators are 22-18-3 and sit one point shy of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wildcard position in the Eastern Conference.