If you’ve been keeping an eye on the Ottawa Senators as training camp kicks off, you already know there’s a missing piece on the blue line. Artem Zub, the absolute rock of Ottawa’s defence, is still quietly recovering from an undisclosed lower-body injury he picked up during the postseason. He went down early in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series against Carolina, and honestly, the blue line hasn’t quite felt the same since.
It’s definitely not the news Sens fans were hoping for heading into the new year, but it isn’t complete doom and gloom either. General Manager Steve Staios confirmed that Zub is actively rehabbing, and while he isn’t skating right away at the start of camp, the team remains hopeful he’ll be ready around opening night. That said, the front office is playing it safe. They’ve even left the door open for professional tryouts just in case Zub needs a bit more runway to get back to 100%.
Losing Zub for any amount of time is a tough pill to swallow because of how much quiet heavy lifting he actually does. He’s emerged from a breakout year with 30 points, a plus-22 rating, and 120 blocks to go with Jake Sanderson to make him a perfect fit. Play Zub on the ice, and he takes away lots of penalty-kill time and adds a nice, reliable backbone to the entire defence so everyone else can play more aggressively.
If he’s just a bit slower to recover, Ottawa will have to think outside the box on the right side. It may be more work for newly acquired depth or an early opportunity for prospects such as camp top-flight Carter Yakemchuk. But for the time being, everyone in Ottawa is waiting to see the return of their favourite Russian defender, hopefully not too late.
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