The Ottawa Senators will need to develop a next-man-up mentality, now that it has been determined Brady Tkachuk will miss a minimum of four weeks after sustaining a right wrist injury in Monday’s home opener versus Nashville.
Just 5:24 into the game, Predators all-star defenseman Roman Josi crosschecked the Senators captain from behind, launching Tkachuk into the end boards. After a brief scrum, Tkachuk left the ice hunched over, clutching his right hand. Moments later, the 25-year-old headed down the tunnel to be evaluated by medical staff.
Shortly thereafter, Tkachuk returned to the Senators bench and continued to play until he could no longer do so. Tkachuk was unable to hit the ice for the final 9:04 with his club down 1-0.
Tkachuk was next seen by a few Senators media members, including Hockey HotStove, with his right wrist taped up, walking with medical staff.
Senators’ fans and his teammates must hope Tkachuk’s recovery is the low end of actually being out four weeks. The Senators play only 10 games during this period, seven are against 2024-25 non-playoff clubs. However, further evaluation will determine if surgery is required. If so, the eight-year veteran could miss even more time.
Last season, Tkachuk missed eight of the Senators final nine games while rehabbing his hip, an injury sustained during the Four Nations Faceoff. The Senators posted a 5-2-1 record during his absence.
Can’t sit and dwell on it
“You never want to lose a player. You never want to lose a player of his stature, but that’s part of the game, so we’re not going to sit and dwell on it, and looks like anyone else that gets hurt. You move on, and you move on quickly, and Brady will be around our team and be the captain that he is, but won’t be playing,” said Senators head coach Travis Green post-practice Tuesday.
“I don’t want to make this more than it is. Guys get injured, and that’s part of it. And not to sound cold, but that’s the sport we play in, and guys are going to get hurt, and no one wants that. No one wants to see players get hurt, but we’re not also going to sit here and dwell on it for any more time than we normally would. He’s a big part of our team. Everyone knows that, but it is what it is, and it’s next man up, and we still have expectations.”
Green has a job to do, and that’s guiding his players and keeping them on an even keel. With Tkachuk out of the lineup, Senators players must step up, especially at even-strength. Everyone not named Shane Pinto, who’s tallied four of the Senators seven total goals over their first three games this season, needs to contribute.
The return of the Drake
The team did receive a bit of good news Tuesday; Drake Batherson, who sustained an upper-body injury during a September 23rd practice, returns to the Senators lineup Wednesday in Buffalo. Batherson’s 68 points (26 goals, 42 assists) last season were second only to Tim Stützle’s 79.
Batherson played the majority on the right side of Dylan Cozens after the centre was acquired from the Sabres at trade deadline in March.
There’s a chance he may play alongside Stützle, but that spot may go to one of Claude Giroux, Fabian Zetterlund. The possibility also exists that Giroux or Zetterlund may shift to the left wing in place of Tkachuk too. The Senators are fortunate to have versatility within their forward group.
Possible line combinations
Giroux – Stützle – Zetterlund
Perron – Cozens – Batherson
Greig – Pinto – Amadio
Cousins – Eller – Lycksell/MacDermid
Another question arisen, will General Manager Steve Staois consider a trade to fill Tkachuk’s vacant spot? If the Tkachuk is gone four weeks, that sounds doubtful. However, if he’s to miss more time, all bets are off.
