At only 21-years-old and with only 102 games under his skates, Thomas Chabot can already call himself an NHL
On Wednesday, the NHL revealed the rosters for the exciting 2019 All Star weekend taking place on Jan. 26 in San Jose, California. Chabot will be the only representative starring from the Ottawa Senators. He will play on the Atlantic Division team, captained by provincial rival Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Drafted 18th overall in the first round of the 2015 draft, Chabot has registered 63 points (19G, 44A) in 102 career games. Playing in his second NHL season, the native of Sainte-Marie, Quebec, is on a point per game pace, with 38 points (10G, 28A) in 38 games. On multiple occasions this season, he has led all NHL defensemen with most points.
Unfortunately, Chabot suffered an upper body injury on Dec. 28 against the New York Islanders when he was checked hard by Matt Martin. Chabot’s recovery timeline is expected to be approximately three weeks, which should have him ready in time for his All Star debut.
At the time of his injury, he ranked second in points to only Morgan Reilly of the Maple Leafs. In addition, he was top 10 amongst all skaters in the NHL and second on his team. Considering these outstanding numbers, few should be surprised to see Chabot’s named on the All-Star roster.
This will be the first All Star appearance in Chabot’s young career. If he keeps his pace up, it will be the first of many.
Chabot v. Karlsson
One interesting dynamic to keep an eye on during the All-Star weekend will be the performance of Ottawa’s current star
Karlsson joins his San Jose Shark teammates Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns as players named by the NHL. The trio will represent the host team and play for the Pacific Division.
After a slow start to the 2018-19 campaign, Karlsson has turned white hot. Since making his first return to Ottawa on Dec. 1, he has notched points in all but one of the games since that visit. This stretch includes 17 points (1G, 16A) in his last 12 games. On the year, Karlsson is closing the gap on achieving a point per game average. He currently sits with 32 points (3G, 29A) in 39 games. Throughout his career, he has 550 points (129G, 421A) in 666 games.
Regardless of comparisons made between Karlsson and Chabot, Senator fans will be able to enjoy and appreciate the old and the new this All Star weekend.
Cover Photo Credit: Wayne Cuddington / Postmedia
Billy Morrison covers the Ottawa Senators and the Atlantic Division for Full Press Coverage. Follow Billy on Twitter, @BillyMorrison01.
