Senators’ Defence Takes Another Blow as Dennis Gilbert Joins Injury List
The Ottawa Senators faced another setback on defence during their 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Canadian Tire Centre on March 21, as defenceman Dennis Gilbert suffered an upper-body injury and couldn’t finish the game. Gilbert was checked into the boards by Toronto’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson with less than five minutes remaining. He will miss Monday’s matchup against the New York Rangers while undergoing further evaluation.
Coach Travis Green confirmed, “He’s going to miss a little time.” Gilbert had been added to the lineup after veteran Nick Jensen went down for at least six weeks due to a torn meniscus, and with top defenceman Jake Sanderson already sidelined with a shoulder injury.
Acquired earlier this season from the Philadelphia Flyers, Gilbert had been a steady presence in the third pairing alongside Nikolas Matinpalo. With Sanderson out, the Senators recalled defenceman Lassi Thomson from their AHL affiliate in Belleville. Thomson is expected to play against the Rangers and Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, marking him as the 10th defenceman to appear for Ottawa this season.
Thomson hasn’t played an NHL game since November 25, 2022, and has posted 14 goals and 25 points in 55 games with Belleville this season. He previously spent time with the Malmo RedHawks in the Swedish Elite League before being brought back to North America by Ottawa’s president of hockey operations and GM, Steve Staios.
With injuries mounting, the Senators are running low on defensive options. Potential call-ups include top prospect Carter Yakemchuk, seventh overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, who has 10 goals and 36 points in his rookie AHL season but is a minus-30. Another option is veteran AHL defenceman Samuel Bolduc, acquired from Montreal at the trade deadline; however, he would be ineligible for the playoffs due to the timing of the trade.
Leave a Reply