The Ottawa Senators have taken a big hit before the season starts.
Winger Drake Batherson, who left Tuesday’s skate early while with the group that wasn’t playing against the Toronto Maple Leafs, is out at least two weeks with a pulled muscle in his upper body.
Coach Travis Green confirmed the injury during his daily session with reporters on Wednesday at the Canadian Tire Centre.
“It’s going to be, I’d say, two weeks. That’s what we’re hoping,” Green said.
Batherson is pencilled into a spot on the right side of Dylan Cozens and David Perron on the second line to start the season, but it doesn’t appear that will be the case to start the year against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 9.
A lot has been made of the fact that the Senators were ranked No. 31 in 5-on-5 scoring last season and losing Batherson won’t help matters.
The 28-year-old Batherson has had three straight seasons where he has posted more than 20 goals. He finished last year with 26 goals and 42 points in 82 games with the club.
He had instant chemistry with Cozens when the latter was dealt here from the Buffalo Sabres at the National Hockey League trade deadline. Coming into camp, Batherson has been playing with Cozens.
Batherson’s absence meant Fabian Zetterlund moved into the spot beside Cozens in the skate on Wednesday. The duo also was together against the Leafs on Tuesday and played a key role in the third period to help the Senators come back from a 2-0 deficit.
The top line on Wednesday had veteran Claude Giroux back in his familiar spot with captain Brady Tkachuk and top centre Tim Stutzle.
A lot of this camp has been about determining who will fit where.
Injuries create opportunities for other players. The Senators are taking a long look at former New York Rangers winger Arthur Kaliyev in camp and he skated as the 13th forward on Wednesday.
Judging by the amount of playing time winger Ollie Lycksell has gotten in the first two pre-season games, he’s another guy who has put himself on the radar for a position on the fourth line.
Lycksell was signed as an unrestricted free agent from the Philadelphia Flyers during the summer and hasn’t looked out of place in camp.
We’ll get a clearer picture when the Senators head to Quebec City on Thursday afternoon because Steve Staios — the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager — along with Green, plan to make cuts.
The Senators have 49 players in camp and the organization needs to get down to workable numbers to prepare for the start of the season. The expectation is that the Senators will take somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 players to Quebec City.
Just because a player is sent to the club’s American Hockey League affiliate doesn’t mean they won’t be brought back to play in an exhibition game next week.
For example, defenceman Carter Yakemchuk skated with what largely was a Belleville group on Wednesday morning. Steely-eyed reporters thought this wasn’t a good sign, but Green made sure he calmed the waters because Yakemchuk still has a chance for a spot.
Defenceman Nick Jensen took Yakemchuk’s spot in the main group and skated with Lassi Thomson in the fourth pairing.
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“We only wanted eight (defencemen) in practice and we need Jensen to get repetitions,” Green said. “He played last night and it was as simple as that. We were working more on our penalty kill and the power play today.
“I figured someone would ask about that today. It was nothing more and nothing less. I talked to Yak today and he’s fine. He’ll be fine going forward.”
Defenceman Tyler Kleven, who suffered an ankle injury against the Leafs on Sunday in Ottawa, is inching closer to resuming skating with his teammates.
Green did confirm that Jensen won’t suit up for either of the club’s next two exhibition games against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday and the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday at the Centre Videotron.
Centre Lars Eller, who has missed the start of camp recovering from surgery for a sports hernia, will join the main group on Thursday.