With the return of Tyler Kleven on Monday afternoon, the Ottawa Senators suddenly found themselves carrying eight defensemen on their NHL roster, and that was one too many for their liking. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the team has opted to place Donovan Sebrango on waivers as of Tuesday.
Sebrango had served as Kleven’s direct replacement in the Senators’ first two games down in Florida, but with Kleven now healthy, it appears the Sens have decided to send Sebrango back to Belleville of the American Hockey League, where he’s spent most of the past two seasons. His two games with Ottawa over the past week have now doubled his career games played total at the NHL level. He made his NHL debut with the Sens back in January.
Behind Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, and Kleven, Sebrango is generally seen as the next man up on the left side of the organization’s depth chart. That much was made clear in the first two games of the season.
But he may soon have some competition. The Sens recently strengthened the left side of the B-Sens blue line by signing free agent Scott Harrington to a two-year AHL deal. Harrington brings more than 250 games of NHL experience. Everyone else on the left side in Belleville, and we’ll include Sebrango’s four games of NHL experience, have combined for four games of NHL experience.
If Sebrango clears waivers and reports to Belleville, head coach David Bell will suddenly have his own left side surplus on the back end. In Ottawa, the Sens appear to favour one extra defenseman and one extra forward.
Drake Batherson is set to be activated from injured reserve in time for Wednesday night’s road game against the Buffalo Sabres. So he’ll likely be replaced on the IR by Brady Tkachuk after the captain suffered a right-hand or wrist injury during Monday’s home opener. The Sens are saying Tkachuk might be out for a month or more and haven’t ruled out surgery.
Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk Likely To Miss A Month Of Action (At Least)
Following an uninspiring 6-2 drubbing at the hands of the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers on Saturday, Ottawa Senators fans were hoping for an inspiring bounce-back performance in the team’s home opener on Monday afternoon.
Sebrango was acquired by the Senators in July 2023 as part of the Alex DeBrincat trade. DeBrincat was dealt to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Sebrango, Dominik Kubalik, a conditional first-round pick, and Detroit’s 2024 fourth-round selection. That first-round pick was later part of the trade package sent to Boston for goalie Linus Ullmark.
Still just 23, Sebrango—a former World Junior player with Team Canada—could draw interest from other NHL teams on the waiver wire. The Ottawa-born defenseman likely has a soft spot for his hometown club, but with three quality left-shot defensemen under contract for at least the next two seasons, his path to full-time NHL status appears blocked for the foreseeable future.
More Sens Headlines at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators Site:
Tkachuk Injured As Senators Drop Home Opener To Nashville
Another Tough Break For Former Senator Josh Norris
Senators Injuries: Kleven And Batherson Provide Health Updates
Yakemchuk Reflects On Playing First Pro Game Saturday
Senators Mauled By Florida 6-2, Penalty Killing Struggles Continue
Jordan Spence: A Healthy Scratch For Sens Season Opener
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