Ottawa Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot had a strong debut in NHL Pre-Season action. He played a very impressive game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs Monday night. Chabot has been outstanding at camp and has been one of the Senators best defenders so far. He’s seen himself paired up with Dion Phaneuf and Christian Jaros most of time. With the amount of competition the Sens have on the back end in this years camp, Chabot has a lot of people knocking on his door. In addition to the crowded blue line, Chabot is definitely expected to make the team this year.
Ottawa Senators Thomas Chabot Excelling Early On
Chabot definitely showed he’s ready for the NHL Monday night. Like in camp, Chabot was paired up with Dion Phaneuf for most of the night five on five. He saw some playing time with Christian Jaros. The one thing that probably stood out the most was his puck handling. He made it look easy going up the ice when leading the rush. The youngster was also really valuable on the power play where he looked extremely smooth. Chabot look composed from the beginning to the end.
What It Means For The Senators
In the event that Erik Karlsson cannot start October 5th, which looks almost certain at this point, Chabot has a door wide open for him. He’ll most likely be looked upon to step into Karlsson’s role and play a valuable role for the organization. Chabot has already received praise from the Sens captain on his development path. Whenever you get credit from one of the best defendesr in the NHL, it is a very good sign.
In the long run, when Erik Karlsson returns to action, Chabot will most likely be sheltered more than he will in October. In October, Chabot will most likely play heavy minutes to make up for Karlsson’s absence on the back end.
If he really shines and impresses staff while playing a lot, they might not take the route of sheltering him as much as they think they need to. He would probably find himself playing top four and top two minutes for most of the season. If staff was ever to explore a Chabot-Karlsson pairing this year, it would be a treat for Sens fans to watch. It’s likely to happen in the near future if Chabot continues this level of play. Not only would playing with Karlsson help him in his development, him and Karlsson would be one of the best duo’s in the NHL.
A reasonable expectation for Thomas Chabot for this year would be a point total in the range of 30-40 points. If he ends up playing with Karlsson for most of the year, it’ll definitely help his production. If the Sens want to run a high power blue line, Chabot and Karlsson are the duo for one. It would be a treat to watch without a doubt. But the Sens could go with a balanced offence back end. Whichever turn the Senators decide to take with Chabot, one thing Sens fans should know if they don’t already is, Thomas Chabot is no fluke. He looks like a legitimate star defender in the making.
Main Photo:
OTTAWA, CANADA – OCTOBER 18: Thomas Chabot #72 of the Ottawa Senators skates against the Arizona Coyotes during his first career NHL game at Canadian Tire Centre on October 18, 2016 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Francois Laplante/FreestylePhoto/Getty Images)
