The Ottawa Senators were dealt another bad hand with the recent announcement that forward Artem Anisimov has been moved to Injured Reserve with a groin injury. The injury was either suffered or aggravated in a recent win against the Los Angeles Kings. TSN’s Steve Lloyd was among the people announcing the move through Twitter.
Anisimov is on IR with a groin injury.
— Steve Lloyd (@TSNSteveLloyd) November 8, 2019
Ottawa Senators Artem Anisimov On Injured Reserve
Artem Anisimov hadn’t done much through Ottawa’s 15 games. The 31-year-old skater had just two goals on 15 shots in seven games. His poor start put him on pace to fall below his 2018-19 total of 37 points with the Chicago Blackhawks. The .29 points-per-game rate would mark the worst of his 12-year career if it did not change upon return. He wasn’t providing much peripheral value either as hits and blocks have never been a big part of his game.
Anisimov had only appeared in seven games before moving to the IR. His most common linemates were Vladislav Namestikov or Tyler Ennis but very little has come out of those groupings. The Senators are one of the worst teams in the NHL as a unit so it’s not all on Anisimov. There just isn’t enough talent to elevate a struggling veteran like him.
What This Means Going Forward
The team’s most recent move to account for Anisimov’s injury was to recall Jonathan Davidsson from AHL Belleville. The 22-year-old sixth round pick has one goal and three points through eight games. He will most likely move onto the fourth line next to some of Ottawa’s other young players. The team will continue to shuffle lines in Anisimov’s absence to generate something resembling a competitive roster. There is always a chance Anisimov could return and reproduce some of his Chicago scoring but it is hard to see with the Senators’ general lack of skill. They are one of the teams in the mix for the first pick in the 2020 draft.
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