Thomas Chabot, Nikita Zaitsev Not in Lineup vs. Canadiens

Plenty of minutes are up for grabs tonight at the Canadian Tire Center, as the Ottawa Senators are without two of their top defensemen. Minutes-leader Thomas Chabot was ruled out ahead of the contest with a non-COVID-related illness. John Bartlett also noted that Nikita Zaitsev is absent against the Montreal Canadiens for the same reason.

Both Thomas Chabot and Nikita Zaitsev are going to miss tonight?s game with respective non-COVID related illnesses. Victor Mete and forward Dylan Gambrell will dress in their place

— John Bartlett (@BartsBytes) February 26, 2022

Chabot leads the Sens in ice time, assists, and powerplay assists, averaging nearly 27 minutes per game. No Sens player spends more time on the powerplant than Chabot, who averages 3:31 per game on the man advantage.

Zaitsev is called upon less frequently, playing an average of 18:52 per contest and chipping in with one goal and three assists.

Nick Holden replaces Chabot on the Senators’ top defensive pairing, skating next to Artem Zub. Victor Mete and Dylan Gambrell are active for tonight’s contest, skating on the team’s third unit.

Action is just underway in Ottawa. Check out FanDuel Sportsbook for a live line on the Atlantic Division contest.