Thomas Chabot closing in on return as Senators begin road trip

The Ottawa Senators will be able to follow their leader in the near future.

Captain Thomas Chabot was a full participant in the club’s skate on Monday afternoon at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and he’s closing in on a return from an undisclosed upper-body ailment.

Chabot has missed three games with the injury he aggravated against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 17. He skated in the extra pairing on Monday with Cameron Crotty, which means a decision won’t be made until after Tuesday’s morning skate on whether he’ll face the Vegas Golden Knights to start this five-game road trip.

“I feel good,” Chabot told the club’s website after the skate. “It’s something that is coming back. Unfortunately, it takes a little bit of time. It just needs to get back to normal, but we’re slowly feeling better every day.

“It’s nice to be able to be back in a normal jersey.”

Coach Travis Green told reporters last Monday that he believed Chabot would be out for a week or two. If he doesn’t face the Knights, then there is a good chance he’ll return against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

“Any time a guy goes into a regular jersey, you know he’s close,” Green said following the skate in Vegas. “It’s nice to see him out there. I’m not sure if he’s going to go tomorrow, but he’s definitely close to playing. We’ll see.”

The Senators have struggled to keep their blue line healthy.

Ottawa has used 10 defencemen this season because Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson were both out during the early part of the schedule. Chabot has been pleased with the resilience this group has shown.

“We’re missing guys, and it doesn’t matter. Every guy steps up and fills in,” Chabot said. “It’s the next-man-up mentality, and guys are doing a hell of a job with it. Some of the games aren’t necessarily perfect, but we find a way to get the two points and get the wins.”