The Ottawa Senators will have to deal with another injury facing them early on in the year. The team announced today that Chris Wideman will be missing for a while as well. The Senators have recalled Ben Harpur from their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators in place of Wideman.

The coach confirms that Chris Wideman’s recovery is now “months” after suffering a torn hamstring on Thursday.

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 18, 2017

Chris Wideman Out With Hamstring Injury

Chris Wideman suffered the injury in Thursday’s game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. After being evaluated post-game, there was initially no timeline for Wideman’s recovery. On Friday afternoon, Senators head coach Guy Boucher confirmed Wideman will be out for months. Although Wideman was usually used as a third pairing defender, the Senators were as close to having a healthy lineup as they have been this season. Forward Zack Smith was the only major injury. He is out with a dislocated thumb.

Wideman has had a strong start to his season so far. Considering the minutes he gets on a nightly basis, Wideman had eight points in 16 games played prior to getting hurt. Through his first three seasons in the NHL, Chris Wideman has been used in a bottom pairing role. In the 2016-17 season, he scored 17 points in 76 games played. In his first pro year, Wideman ended up scoring 13 points in 64 games played.

How Chris Wideman Became An NHL Defender

Wideman was drafted in the fourth round, 100th overall at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He played for Miami University in the CCHA. Wideman made noise when he came over into the AHL for the first time. In his first season, 2012-13 he scored 18 points in 60 games for the Binghamton Senators. The following year Wideman tallied 51 points in 71 games. In his last year on AHL ice he scored 61 points in 75 games. He won himself the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s best defender that season.

With his spectacular seasons in the AHL, the Senators used Wideman’s services in the 2015-16 year where he started his career in the NHL.

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