Nobody would blame Clarke MacArthur for shutting it down, after spending most of this season plagued with concussion problems.
MacArthur isn’t having it, though.
“I would love to just get a few games in, to know going into the summer that things are going to be fine for next year,” he said, per the Ottawa Citizen. “You never know, I guess. There’s no certainty to when you’re going to get hit or what’s going to happen, but for me, mentally, it would be nice to play some games.”
MacArthur has been out of action since Oct. 4 after suffering a concussion against Columbus. It’s believed to be a continuation of the head injury he suffered last season -- one that cost him 18 games -- and another he suffered during the preseason.
According to the Citizen, the 30-year-old was set to return two weeks ago, but failed a baseline test on Feb. 29. He’s since been meeting regularly with doctors in the hope of getting cleared for the Sens’ final four games of the season -- Apr. 2 versus Philly, Apr. 5 versus Pittsburgh, Apr. 7 versus Florida and the season finale on Apr. 9 against Boston.
The Sens are no doubt hopeful MacArthur can get back into the mix, and be as productive as last season (when he had 36 points in just 62 games played).
He’s in the first of a five-year, $23.25 million contract, one that carries through the 2020 campaign.