Chabot suffered a fracture in his right hand Wednesday night against Columbus.
The typical recovery time for that kind of injury is in the six-week range. The Sens have six weeks, and 22 games, left in their season.
"They haven't given me the official timeline but a fracture in the hand typically is around that timetable," Sens head coach D.J. Smith said.
Even if Chabot is able to get healthy with a couple of games left in the season, Smith suggested "there would be no point to play him."
The 25-year-old has six goals and 34 points in 55 games this year. His 26:23 time on ice average leads the NHL.
"It's never good to see a teammate go down, especially Chabby," said Victor Mete, who seems poised to take his spot in the lineup.
But the loss of one of the Senators' leaders can't be understated. In addition to his significant time on ice, Chabot plays all high-leverage situations and runs the team's first power play unit. The Sens played four games without Chabot in February after he suffered an upper-body injury against Washington on Feb. 13.
"You realize how good a guy is when you haven't seen him in a little bit and he comes back and does all the things he does tonight," Smith said post-game Feb. 22 after Chabot's return, where he scored twice. "Certainly, we missed him. He's a world class player."
