While the Ottawa Senators clinched their spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs on Tuesday night, they may be without their captain until the postseason begins. According to an NHL release, Brady Tkachuk may not return in the regular season as he continues to deal with an injury.
Tkachuk has been out five games since suffering an upper-body injury in Ottawa’s overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 30. He was hit late in the second period from defender Ryan Graves that drew a penalty, and Tkachuk did not return to the game. Tkachuk has scored 29 goals and 55 points in 71 games on the year, while also dishing out 227 hits and recording 123 penalty minutes. The Sens have gone 3-2 in his absence and sit in the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
A fan favorite in Ottawa, Tkachuk, 25, already ranks fourth in team history in goals (191), sixth all-time in points (404) and third in penalty minutes. However, the power forward has never experienced the NHL playoffs. The Senators, who took Tkachuk fourth overall in the 2018 draft, have not qualified for the playoffs since the 2016-17 season. That year, the Senators went on a deep run before eventually losing game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Penguins in double overtime. It’s been 2,876 days since the Sens’ last playoff appearance.
Asked if Tkachuk could return if the playoffs hypothetically started tomorrow, GM Steve Staios stated, per the NHL release:
“I would think so, yes. I can’t give you a definitive (answer).” He added that Tkachuk has continued to progress and that it’s natural for teams to mull over these types of decisions. Staios added it’s a balancing act between wanting to get a player back to full health, while also trying to maintain momentum heading into the playoffs.
Staios added that veteran forward Nick Cousins, who has missed 29 games since suffering a knee injury on Jan. 25, is traveling with the team and close to returning. He said Cousins has been attacking his rehab to expedite his possible return to play. In 47 games on the year, Cousins has recorded five goals and 13 points in a depth role.
