It may be early into the 2023-24 season, but are there any trends surrounding the play of Ottawa Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot? After a 5-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday evening at the Canadian Tire Centre, lots of storylines are forming. One of the biggest developments is how Chabot is performing after being shifted to the right side with Jakob Chychrun. Here we shall discuss Chabot’s play primarily and add some commentary on what it means for the roster as a whole.
The Storylines for the Club Out of Camp
A big storyline coming out of camp was downplayed, and that story was shifting Thomas Chabot to the right side. The justification for being downplayed is two-fold. First, Chabot being an elite defenceman, and being partnered with an elite defenceman, Chychrun, it was seen as no issue. The other reason of course was the roster dilemma with Shane Pinto and also Joshua Norris. But we digress, and Chabot is currently playing the right side, and doing decent.
A Look at Thomas Chabot’s Past Playing for the Ottawa Senators
Throughout his career to this point, Chabot has almost exclusively played the left side. Some of his previous partners include Erik Karlsson, Cody Ceci, Dylan DeMelo, Artem Zub, Travis Hamonic, and Nikita Zaitsev. Erik Brannstrom is pretty well the only one who has been a left-shot, but it was Branny who shifted to the right side. For Chabot, this shows a great deal of leadership and selflessness and doing what it takes for the team. This is an example of the intangibles that Chabot brings to your NHL roster and in the locker room.
What’s in Store for the Future?
Along with the intangibles, despite a possible lack of results or making some costly mistakes, Chabot always performs analytically. Through three games this year, Chabot has yet to factor in on the scoreboard. This is all the while getting plenty of power play time and a 25:12 average TOI overall. On the flip side of the coin, he is getting it done from an analytic standpoint. His CF% Rel is an impressive 6.1, and he has picked up nine blocked shots already. Also, he only recorded one giveaway. Even still, aside from the analytics, when you look at the intangibles, he likely makes the players around him better.
Chabot does provide the team with plenty of intangibles not shown on the scoreboard. You might question his lack of production, with all his power play time. However, consider that Chabot is always the first man back, getting all his teammates in position, and he scans the ice from behind the net. He makes those first passes that usually do not end up as assists. With all this work he does, playing big minutes, and commanding the play, look at how his teammates have performed. Both Chychrun and Jake Sanderson are having great starts to their respective seasons while being protected by Chabot’s efforts. Each is sitting at just over 21 minutes of ice time to stay fresh, and they have combined for seven points in three games.
The Season Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint for Thomas Chabot and the Ottawa Senators
Now it is easy to point at the fact that this is through three games, and it is impossible to make season-long conclusions. Conversely, the defence as a unit is healthy, and this appears to be the plan coach D.J. Smith’s staff would like to have in place. In terms of a span of three games, we do not expect Auston Matthews to score 100+ goals or whatever absurd pace he is on. But we could guess that he will have a productive plan if he continues to execute. Same with Chabot, even though he has zero points, look for that to even out with the production of his teammates. The Senators seem to have a plan, and if they stick to it and execute it, Chabot factors in heavily on the results.
The team is two and one through three games, and he is the leader of the unit, up over 25 minutes a night. The play of the Senators top-four defenceman, let’s not forget the defensive stalwart of Artem Zub, has looked great. Albeit it is a first-week hot streak, but if you win each week through the season, like the theory of winning a series in baseball, you are going to finish very well. Thomas Chabot is a huge reason why the Ottawa Senators have started well. This turns the attention to the roster moves that are coming, and yes, they will come.
What Are Some Options for the Sens
The way Mathieu Joseph has started the season, he is going to be difficult to take out of this lineup. Therefore, the focus has shifted towards moving to the next best option, Erik Brannstrom. His numbers have made him expendable in 14:26 TOI and an -8.2 CF% Rel. Also, there is insulation on the backend for whoever is called up. Tyler Kleven and Jacob Bernard-Docker are both still top prospects. Finally, the way Max Guenette is maturing, don’t be surprised if he develops into a regular NHL defenceman. And don’t be surprised if that happens sooner rather than later.
Main photo: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
