The Ottawa Senators likely will be short-handed on defence when the regular season begins next week.
Artem Zub is not expected to be ready for the team's opener on Oct. 3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs as he continues to recover from a lower-body injury, Travis Green told reporters on Wednesday, per Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.
Zub missed the final three games of the Senators' first-round playoff series loss against the Carolina Hurricanes because of the injury.
The 30-year-old Russian had five goals and 25 assists in 81 games with the Senators last season.
Meanwhile, fellow defenceman Jake Sanderson has something "minor" that will keep him out of the Senators' pre-season split-squad games against Toronto on Wednesday, Green said.
"I don't even want to call it an injury," Green said.
Forward Warren Foegele did skate for the first time in camp on Wednesday, but will not play in the games.
