The Ottawa Senators are going to have to do it without Chris Phillips.

General manager Bryan Murray said Thursday on TSN 1200 in Ottawa that Phillips, out after back surgery and a setback in his recovery, is a "longshot" to play this season, according to Ian Mendes.

The Senators, back in September, expected Phillips to eventually return after an extra month of rehab, but it appears unlikely the veteran defender will draw into the lineup.

Phillips will turn 38 on March 9 and is in the final year of his contract, earning $2.5 million on the sidelines. He's spent his entire NHL career - 1,179 regular-season games - with Ottawa. He had three assists in 36 games last season, and his back injury may put the rest of his career in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, Murray's keeping his fingers crossed that Clarke MacArthur, out since Oct. 14 with a concussion, will play in the second half of the season.

Murray also said that he's hopeful Clarke MacArthur can return for the second half of the season - but very tough to pin down a timeline. — Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) December 10, 2015

MacArthur played only four games before the injury. His return would be a boon to an already-explosive Senators offense. He had 16 goals and 20 assists last season after scoring a career-high 24 goals in 2013-14.