Ottawa Senators rookie defenseman Jared Cowen.

BY IAN MENDES
sportsnet.ca

Ottawa Senators rookie defenseman Jared Cowen will make his NHL debut tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Cowen, who was the club's first-round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft (9th overall), joined the team earlier this week after his Spokane Chiefs were eliminated from the WHL playoffs.

Cowen will take the place of Anton Volchenkov, who will be given a night off to rest since the Senators cannot not move further down in the standings and appear to be locked into the fifth spot in the conference.