Senators hope Artem Zub is ready for camp as injury rehab continues

Ottawa Senators' Artem Zub during the team's home opener last year. Tony Caldwell/Postmedia

Article content

The season hasn’t even started, and the Ottawa Senators’ blueline is already unsettled.

Article content

Veteran defenceman Artem Zub, who was knocked out of the club’s first-round exit against the Carolina Hurricanes, is still rehabbing the ailment he suffered in that series and the club is only hopeful he’ll be ready for the start of training camp.

Article content

Article content

Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, confirmed to the Ottawa Citizen at the club’s charity golf tournament on Tuesday that Zub is still feeling the effects of the injury, but is hopeful he’ll be ready to participate next week.

Article content

Article content

The Senators open the camp on Sept. 16 with medicals at the Canadian Tire Centre and hit the ice the next day.

Article content

Article content

The 30-year-old Zub, who posted a career-high five goals and 30 points in 81 games last season, suffered the injury in Game 2 and left the series. He has been skating and Staios noted that, if Zub isn’t ready, then the club may invite a player or two to camp on professional tryouts.

Article content

“We have a couple of players who are in that position,” Staios said.

Article content

He added that the Senators have a list of players they could possibly invite on PTO’s.

Article content

Defencemen available for PTO’s include Logan Stanley and Ben Hutton. The latter played for coach Travis Green with the Vancouver Canucks, so there is a connection there.

Article content

Zub plays a key role in the top pairing alongside top defenceman Jake Sanderson, and if Zub misses any time, it would be a hit to the depth. He averaged 20 minutes and 48 seconds in 81 games with the Senators last season.

Article content

The Senators remain hopeful he’ll be ready to start the season on Oct. 3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

Article content

Who would fill Zub’s spot?

Article content

Should Zub miss anytime, it almost guarantees rookie defenceman Carter Yakemchuk a spot on the opening night roster, unless a veteran on a PTO makes the club.

Article content

The 20-year-old Yakemchuk, the club’s No. 7 overall selection in the 2024 National Hockey League draft, spent his first full year with the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville last season.

Article content

He finished with 10 goals and 40 points in 54 games, but was a whopping minus-31. Yes, his defensive game needs work, however, you can’t question his confidence.

Article content

Article content