According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Ottawa Senators have placed defenseman Cameron Crotty on waivers. The transaction strongly indicates that defenseman Thomas Chabot will return tomorrow evening against the Los Angeles Kings.

Crotty, 27, has been in the Senators organization for the past two years. The Ottawa native was originally selected with the 82nd overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft by the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes, and he spent his collegiate tenure with the Boston University Terriers. Playing under head coach Albie O’Connell, Crotty finished his NCAA career with 10 goals and 27 points in 102 games with a +11 rating.

With all due respect to Crotty, he’s no more than a depth defender at this stage of his career. Largely an AHL talent since turning pro, Crotty has bounced from the Tucson Roadrunners to the Iowa Wild before landing with the Senators. His most productive years were with the Roadrunners when he scored four goals and 26 points in 119 combined games during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.

In the NHL, Crotty has served as an injury replacement, typically only when the other injury replacement is injured. Debuting with the Coyotes in the 2023-24 season, Crotty has skated in 11 games since, registering one assist with a -1 rating, averaging 12:34 of ice time per game.

Because of his lackluster resume, it’s likely that Crotty will pass through waivers unscathed. He’s expected to rejoin the AHL’s Belleville Senators once eligible.