Senators: The Thomas Chabot situation could get complicated

Marc-Olivier Cook
Senators: The Thomas Chabot situation could get complicated
Credit: YouTube.com

Thomas Chabot is one of the Ottawa Senators' key players.

The Quebec native has quickly become one of the faces of the team's defense, and at 29, he plays a crucial role on his team.

But the defenseman's situation could get complicated rather quickly—especially for the Sens…

Here's what you need to know: Chabot still has two years left on his contract. He'll be a free agent as of July 1, 2028, and the catch is that the Sens might be forced to let him go.

Because according to David Pagnotta, Bowen Byram's new contract ($12.5 million per season for six years) is a game-changer. Chabot is currently making $8 million a year, and he'll certainly want a big raise given today's salary levels in the NHL.

And in two years, salaries will be even higher because the salary cap is set to rise in the coming years… 

The Senators will have a decision to make.

They'll have the choice of offering him a big contract extension, trading him… or risking losing him for free on the free-agent market (if he makes it that far).

And the Sens don't necessarily have the luxury of letting the defenseman leave via free agency. They need to maximize his value, especially since the organization doesn't necessarily have many high-quality prospects looking ahead to the future…

That said, it's crazy how much the summer of 2026 changed things in the NHL when you think about it.

Players have signed insane contracts (Leo Carlsson and Bowen Byram are prime examples), and that's changing the salary structure across the entire league. It was bound to happen at some point, but still.

As a result, some teams are going to find themselves with a problem on their hands… and that could very well be the case with Chabot and the Senators.


In a nutshell

– It's now confirmed.

– Yeah.

– The matter has been settled.

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