The Senators are already without three blueline regulars in Jake Sanderson (upper body), Nick Jensen (knee), and Thomas Chabot (upper body), and added Kleven to the list on Thursday. The 24-year-old Kleven has seen a massive uptick in playing time as a result of team injuries, but exited Thursday's 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres early in the first period after taking a puck to the face.
Sanderson was labeled as week-to-week when he suffered an upper-body injury in Seattle on March 7th, but appears to nearing a return. That said, he will miss at least one more game before he is cleared to play. With Ottawa's blueline being decimated with injuries, the team will be eager to welcome their top defenseman back into the lineup as soon as possible.
With the recent injury to Carter Yakemchuk (concussion), Crotty will be the next defenseman up for an injury-depleted Ottawa blueline. The 26-year-old Crotty only has two games of NHL experience. He has seven points (3G / 7A) this season in 49 games with Belleville (AHL).
Injuries to Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot recently awarded Yakemchuk a call-up from Belleville (AHL) to make his NHL debut and see steady deployment on Ottawa's top powerplay unit. That said, the 20-year-old Yakemchuk's presence in Ottawa's lineup will be halted at least temporarily due to a concussion. He has two points (1G / 1A) in four games this season.
Ullmark will look to rebound when he returns to the crease on Thursday against his former team, the Buffalo Sabres, after a brutal performance in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers, being pulled late in the first period after allowing five goals on 16 shots (.688 SV%). The Senators will hope Ullmark's recent blip was a one-off, considering he entered that game having posted a stellar 2.18 GAA and .918 SV% in his previous six games (4-1-1). The Senators enter Thursday's contest as -117 home favourites against a Buffalo Sabres team coming off a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders.
The Senators' late-season battle for a Wild Card spot continues on Tuesday, with Ullmark tending the twine against the Florida Panthers. The 32-year-old Ullmark had an abysmal outing against Florida earlier this season, allowing six goals on 27 shots (.778 SV%) in a 6-2 loss, but he should be hopeful for a better result against a dejected and injury-depleted Panthers team. The Senators enter Tuesday's contest as -171 road favourites.
Sanderson was labeled as week-to-week when he suffered an upper-body injury in Seattle on March 7th, but appears to nearing a return. That said, he will miss at least one more game before he is cleared to play. With Ottawa's blueline being decimated with injuries, the team will be eager to welcome their top defenseman back into the lineup as soon as possible.
Reidler was a fifth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft that has spent the past two years playing collegiate hockey. The 21-year-old Swedish goalie had a 3.31 GAA and .901 SV% in 18 games (11-7-0) with Pennsylvania State University this season.
Sanderson was labeled as week-to-week when he suffered an upper-body injury in Seattle on March 7th, but appears to nearing a return, possibly as soon as Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. With Ottawa's blueline being decimated with injuries, the team will be eager to welcome their top defenseman back into the lineup.
As the Senators continue their late-season push for a playoff spot, they will turn to Ullmark to tend the twine on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 32-year-old Swedish goalie was terrific in his previous game, saving 33 of 35 shots (.943 SV%) in a crucial 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Since returning from a lengthy personal leave of absence in late January, Ullmark has a 2.31 GAA and .902 SV% in 13 games (9-2-2). The Senators enter Thursday's contest as -145 home favourites against a Penguins team that has been outscored 11-3 in their last two games (0-2-0).
Thomson made his season debut in Monday's 2-1 win over the New York Rangers, but only lasted 4:25 time-on-ice before exiting the game with a lower-body injury. The 25-year-old Thomson has nine blocks, 23 hits and five assists in 19 career NHL games, but had not played in the league since a two-game stint with Ottawa in 2022-23.
Ottawa's blueline has been decimated by injuries lately, as Gilbert, out for the next few weeks, has been added to that growing list. The 29-year-old Gilbert is averaging 11:22 time-on-ice and has one assist in six games this season.
Chabot exited Monday's 2-1 win over the New York Rangers after only 10:21 time-on-ice because due to an injury. He has since undergone surgery to address the issue and will effectively be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season and beyond. The 29-year-old defenseman has 31 points (7G / 24A) in 55 games this season.
Eliasson was drafted 39th overall by the Senators in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and has earned a three-year, entry-level contract. The 19-year-old Swedish defenseman has eight points (2G / 6A) this season in 61 games with the Barrie Colts (OHL).
Ullmark will start the tail-end of Ottawa's back-to-back tonight after getting the night off on Monday. Ullmark secured the victory in his last outing, stopping 12 of the 14 shots he faced in a 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs on Sunday. The 32-year-old carries a 22-10-7 record and an .885 SV% into Tuesday night's must-win game in Detroit, where the Sens enter action at +105 on the money line.
