In the past five years, the Ottawa Senators haven’t made the playoffs once. “We never came close,” rightly recalls Thomas Chabot.
Posted at 6:00 a.m.
Except that things could change next season, to the delight of the defender.
At the end of the last campaign, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion openly told the media that his two best players, Chabot and Brady Tkachuk, had told him of their desire to see the team move “to the next stage.” . In other words, participate in the spring dance.
In fact, the GM was particularly active this offseason, adding a 40-goal scorer in Alex DeBrincat. Veterans Claude Giroux and Cam Talbot, whose reputation is second to none, have also joined the team.
No doubt: Chabot and Tkachuk were heard and, above all, listened to.
“We’ve always had a good relationship, Pierre, Brady and I,” Chabot said at the Gagné-Bergeron Pro-Am event on Tuesday. “Whenever we talk to each other, we are able to sit down and discuss, whether it’s in relation to the team or in general. We are still blessed to have this relationship.
“We knew that we have a lot of talent, a lot of young people who improve from year to year. We see the progression of everyone after each season, but we want to be guys who make the playoffs. We want to compete, we want to win matches. »
Yes, it’s fun to develop everyone, but at the end of the day, we play hockey for the chance to win the Stanley Cup one day.
Thomas Chabot
On a few occasions, the 25-year-old defenseman called Dorion’s acquisitions encouraging. He was also complimentary to the newcomers.
“Having a guy like Claude Giroux with us in Ottawa, who has an extraordinary career, a guy who comes from the area as well, is going to be extraordinary. It will bring a lot. Yes, he has the talent on the ice, but I think his experience as captain for several years will help our young group. »
PHOTO SEAN KILPATRICK, THE CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion with Claude Giroux
About Alex DeBrincat, Chabot dropped that “any team would dream of having a guy like that, who is able to score 40 goals”.
“With the talent he has and the guys we already have in the lineup around him, it’s really going to help our team take a step forward,” he added, while specifying to be “realistic” in relation to the situation of the team, which is in a raised division.
Minutes in industrial quantities
Before injuring his hand and seeing his season go up in smoke in March, Thomas Chabot had an average playing time of 26 minutes and 12 seconds in 59 games. In fact, he is second in the National League in terms of average use per game, just behind Seth Jones of the Chicago Blackhawks, who is at 26 minutes and… 13 seconds.
Asked by a journalist if he would sometimes like to receive a little help, the defender was honest.
Certainly yes. As I’ve always said my answer doesn’t change, I’m lucky to have a coaching staff that believes in me and wants me to play a lot of minutes. That’s how I see it and I try to do the best I can when I’m on the ice.
Thomas Chabot
“It is certain that it is a lot of minutes, but I have experienced it often over the years, he continued. Whether it’s junior or in the National League, it’s always been like that. »
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Thomas Chabot while playing in the QMJHL for the Saint Johns Sea Dogs in 2017
Ultimately, like any good self-respecting player, Chabot wants to help his team win. His average playing time should be much the same next season, when he is fully recovered from his right hand injury.
“We are several young people who were drafted at the same time. We grew up together, we continue to learn together and we are all ready to take a new step. It’s going to be my sixth year, and we’ve never come close to making the playoffs. I think the whole city deserves it, and that’s what excites us the most. »