A Borowiecki Chabot pairing is likely
Ottawa Senators rookie defenceman Thomas Chabot continues to receive the royal treatment from his veteran teammates.
Chabot is expected to be paired with Mark Borowiecki, who will make his long-awaited return from a concussion Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. He was originally a bit unsure of his next move when the club went into the bye week following a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Jan. 10.
Told after the Toronto game that he wasn’t being reassigned to Belleville of the AHL for the break, Chabot planned on going home for a few days. Then the veterans stepped up. “I was fortunate enough to get (Dion) Phaneuf to invite me on his (charter) plane, going to West Palm Beach.
“And when I was there, I was fortunate enough that (Derick) Brassard had an extra room at his place and he invited me to stay.”
Brassard has also opened up his home to Chabot while the rookie has been in Ottawa and Chabot can’t say enough about the support he has received.
But just because he’s in Ottawa now, he insists he’s not taking anything for granted.
“I will say the same thing, nothing is confirmed, nothing 100 per cent,” Chabot said following Wednesday’s late practice at Canadian Tire Centre.
Chabot had been paired with captain Erik Karlsson before the break, but based on Wednesday’s groupings, he’ll be alongside Borowiecki against the Blues.
While Chabot says he’s excited to play with “a solid, great defenceman” like Borowiecki, the veteran passes the compliment back. And then some.
“Thomas is just such a skilled player and I can’t say enough about him as a kid,” Borowiecki said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for how he handles himself. His instincts out there, personally, I think they are off the charts. He’s like another
franchise defenceman. He’s going to be a special player.”
Borowiecki, of course, would be pumped to be playing with anyone, given that he hasn’t been in the lineup since suffering a concussion on Nov. 19 against the New York Rangers.
While the competitor in him was pushing hard to return before the bye week, he now says receiving an additional week off can’t help but have been beneficial.
“The legs feel good, the lungs feel good, the hands don’t feel so good, but that’s usually the case with me,” he said, with a laugh.
Borowiecki led the NHL in hits last season, but he recognizes that it may take a period or two to get his game timing back.
“I would love to (get a hit early), try to set a bit of energy in this building, but when you chase it, that’s when things don’t go your way,” he said. “You have to find your spot. It’s just a matter of making sure you’re in the right places and being able to make those hits if they do come.”