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Help is on the way for the Ottawa Senators, but not immediately.
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Top defenceman Jake Sanderson took another step on the road to recovery by skating with the Senators on Monday in a non-contact jersey for the first time since he suffered a shoulder injury on March 7.
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However, Sanderson won’t be ready for the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night at the Amerant Bank Arena, as the Senators begin the final stretch towards the playoffs with nine games remaining.
“It’s exciting. I’ll just take it day-by-day and see how it goes,” Sanderson said after the club’s skate. “Just watching the guys the past few weeks, playing some of the best hockey we’ve played all year, I’m itching to get back with them when the time comes. I’m just cheering them on for now.”
The Senators are tied with the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings, sitting two points back of the final wildcard spot in the East, held by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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The Senators have the tiebreaker on the Jackets, Flyers and Wings, but Ottawa has to get itself into a playoff position first.
There was a lot of excitement that Sanderson would face the Panthers when the club sent rookie Jorian Donovan back to its American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville on Sunday, but informed readers of this space were told that it was necessary because he was an emergency recall.
Donovan was called up along with Carter Yakemchuk to face the Detroit Red Wings last Tuesday when the Senators lost Thomas Chabot and Lassi Thomson against the New York Rangers on Monday. Thomson returned against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
There is no timetable for Sanderson’s return, but the fact that he has resumed skating with the Senators is a good sign.
“It’s tough for me,” Sanderson said. “I haven’t missed a lot of time in my career, so missing a few weeks can be tough. We have great staff here in Ottawa. I’m in good hands here, and the guys are keeping me company, so I’ll hopefully get back here soon.
Sanderson, who averages 25 minutes per night, has to be cleared for contact before he’ll get the green light to return. The Senators won’t skate on Wednesday, so we may not see him until Saturday’s matinee against the Minnesota Wild at the Canadian Tire Centre.
“It was good to be with the guys,” Sanderson said. “It’s been a while, just being able to move your feet, and just being with the guys in practice was fun.”
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