Jake Sanderson injury overshadows Ottawa Senators' final preseason tuneups against Habs

Claude Giroux (28) of the Senators battles Reilly Walsh (44) of the Canadiens for position on the ice during the NHL preseason game in Ottawa on Saturday, Sept. 26. Photo by Icon Sportswire /Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Article content

SENATORS 4, HABS 3 in Ottawa

Article content

The auditions are over for the Ottawa Senators, and they couldn’t end soon enough.

Article content

Article content

The Senators closed out the National Hockey League exhibition season with split-squad games against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa and down the road at the Bell Centre, but there was cause for concern when the final buzzer sounded.

Article content

Article content

Defenceman Jake Sanderson, who was only suiting up for his first preseason game because he’d been nursing an undisclosed ailment, left the Senators’ 4-3 victory over the Habs in Ottawa midway through the second period. That was not a good sign.

Article content

Article content

Sanderson had an assist on Drake Batherson’s goal at 10:51 of the second period on a 5-on-3 power play, but then immediately went to the dressing room. The Senators called it a departure “for precautionary reasons” and are hopeful Sanderson will be ready for opening night in the regular season against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Article content

His status will play a role in the final roster decisions made in the next 24 hours.

Article content

William Eklund scored the winner for Ottawa with the man advantage in the third period, and that was the club’s fourth power-play goal of the night.

Article content

Steve Staios, the Senators’ president of hockey operations and general manager, along with head coach Travis Green and the rest of the staff, much determine what players will start the season on the 23-man NHL roster, which must be finalized by 5 p.m. ET on Monday.

Article content

A file photo of Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson, who left Saturday’s home preseason game against the Canadiens for what his team was were ‘precautionary reasons.’ Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

Article content

Though the camp had already been split into two groups before these two games, there will be a significant number of players assigned to the American Hockey League affiliate at Belleville on Sunday.

Article content

Article content

The Senators sent what was mostly an AHL lineup to Montreal, while the home crowd got to see most of the regular roster. None of the preseason games this fall were particularly entertaining, but the one in Ottawa on Saturday had better jam than any we’ve seen previously.

Article content

Article content

Defenceman Thomas Chabot, who was back in the lineup after being with his wife, Marion, for the birth of their first child, also played in his first preseason game.

Article content

What’s left to decide

Article content

Likely more than people expected heading into camp.

Article content

Ottawa has been hampered by injuries throughout the past 10 days. The expectation is that defenceman Artem Zub and forwards Warren Foegele and Kurtis MacDermid will start the season on injured reserve.

Article content

A two-game suspension for forward Ridly Greig to start the season means Phillip Tomasino and Sam Blais could have an opportunity to open the season with Ottawa.

Article content

Tim Stutzle skated with Eklund and Fabian Zetterlund on Saturday, while Andre Burakovsky was alongside Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson. Shane Pinto didn’t play, but a third line featuring him with Michael Amadio and Claude Giroux appears likely to start the season.