Senators face unwelcome concern after Eklund exits game

The Ottawa Senators are holding their breath at the idea of losing forward William Eklund to injury.

The Senators winger left Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers with a lower-body ailment.

Eklund got run into the boards around the 12-minute mark by defenseman Simon Benoit. Eklund was slow to react and needed assistance to get off the ice.

There is no word on Eklund thus far. The fear could be anything ranging from a severe ankle sprain to a fracture. Depending on the injury itself, the Senators could be looking at losing the former San Jose Shark for days or even weeks.

Eklund played just 1:24 across four shifts on the night.

Senators already dealing with irrational injury bug

The early season has not been kind to the Senators. The club has already lost top defenseman Jake Sanderson and the reliable Artem Zub. Also, offseason acquisition Andre Burakovsky is on the shelf.

By far, the biggest loss has to be Sanderson. He left the Senators’ game against the Toronto Maple Leafs last Saturday night and has not returned. There is no indication of how long he could be out. He’s officially ruled as day-to-day, with some encouraging signs on Thursday as he skated, but did not play.

Seems like the gold-medal winner could be inching his way back to the lineup. The club will certainly need him, as Sanderson’s overall impact on the ice is irreplaceable.

Similarly, Zub has been a major absence on the Senators' blue line. He’s still dealing with the aftermath of a knee injury sustained during last season’s playoffs. There is no real timeline for his return. Zub is officially on injured reserve, meaning that it might still be a while before fans get to see Zub back on the ice.

Lastly, Burakovsky has been a disappointing loss due to injury. Burakovsky is dealing with an upper-body ailment sustained in Ottawa’s final preseason game. The 31-year-old was expected to play a role in the Senators’ top nine. While he should be back sooner rather than later, again, there is no firm timeline for when fans could see Burakovsky again.

Ottawa got good news on Thursday

If there was any bit of good news on the injury front, the Senators got netminder Linus Ullmark back against the Flyers. He started the game, backstopping the club to a 2-1 win over Philly. He made 28 saves, keeping the team in the game all night long.

Ullmark’s return is certainly a positive sign as the Senators look to continue rolling in the Atlantic Division.

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