Ottawa defenceman Sami Salo, who has had his previous two NHL seasons limited by injuries, suffered a groin injury early in the Senators' pre-season game Sunday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs and pulled off his uniform.

Salo, 27, a six-foot-three, 215-pound Finn, will have the injury assessed Monday. The Senators are holding workouts in Caledon, northwest of the city, through Wednesday.

"It was kind of a freak thing," coach Jacques Martin said of Salo's latest injury. "It wasn't on a hit or anything.

"He was just skating up the ice."

Last season, he missed 49 games with shoulder, foot and knee injuries, post-concussion symptoms and a flu. In 1999-2000, he missed 45 games with a variety of injuries.