Ex-Senators D-man weighs in on Ottawa Senators' faltering $91,600,000 defensive line

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Jan 18, 2024 16:48 GMT

Marc Methot, a former NHL player has offered some insight on Ottawa Senators. He was particularly disappointed by the team's performance which was caused by a $91.6 million defensive line which includes Thomas Chabot and Jakob Chychrun.

Methot complained about the Chabot-Chychrun pairing, pointing to an apparent scarcity of a complimentary match between them. He also identified the left-handed defenseman logjam as a current issue in their team by highlighting how essential it was to have top-four players play from their correct sides so that they would function best.

Marc Methot tweeted:

"Not feeling the Chabot-Chychrun pairing. I find they don’t compliment each other very well. And Ottawa’s log jam of Left handed D is hurting them right now and will eventually need to be addressed. Your top 4 should be playing on their natural sides."

Chabot, who inked an eight-year, $64,000,000 deal with the Senators on Sept. 19, 2019, and Chychrun (traded), signed to a six-year, $27,600,000 contract with the Arizona Coyotes on Nov. 13, 2018, collectively contribute to the hefty $91.6 million investment in the defensive line.

The Senators' recent struggles are evident in their record, losing six out of seven games and holding an overall season record of 15-24-0. Ranked eighth in the Atlantic Division, the team faces challenges, particularly in defense.

The defensive unit has allowed an alarming average of 3.77 goals per game, with a concerning stretch of 17 goals conceded in their past four games. While players like Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub have made defensive contributions, the team as a whole has struggled to contain opponents.

Avalanche secure 7-4 victory over Ottawa Senators

The Colorado Avalanche staged a remarkable comeback, scoring four unanswered goals in the third period to defeat the Ottawa Senators 7-4. Mikko Rantanen, with a pair of goals, led the charge.

Miles Wood quickly tied the game at 4-4, and Sam Malinski's power-play goal gave the Avalanche an 8-minute mark lead. Logan O’Connor and Devon Toews added insurance goals, securing the win.

O’Connor praised the team effort, stating:

"On a back-to-back, going against a fresh team, that’s sort of what you need to do, have everyone pulling on the reins, have everyone contributing in different ways."

Ottawa Senators' captain Brady Tkachuk acknowledged the inconsistency in their effort:

"It’s never really a 60-minute effort. I think we let off the gas … we just need to find a way to just put in a consistent 60-minute effort and make life a little bit easier for our goalies."

Despite Ottawa Senators's strong play for 40 minutes, they couldn't contain Colorado's third-period surge.