Ottawa has been fighting the slump lately and may be forced to weather it without the captain. The heartbeat and pulse of the Ottawa team, Brady Tkachuk, sustained a lower-body injury in the 4 Nations Face-Off against Sweden, feeling discomfort just before crashing into the net. Even if he gritted it out and skated in the final game three days later, the injury has kept him out of the NHL lineup since Ottawa’s last game.
Tkachuk confirmed that he had been feeling it just before the match with the net, and it got worse. He sat out Ottawa’s last match against the Canadiens and practiced this afternoon but exited the session early as a precaution. Still, Tkachuk hopes that he will be fit enough to play Ottawa’s next match against the Winnipeg Jets, a crucial game as the Senators attempt to regain momentum and push toward playoff contention.
The Senators, losing four games consecutively, need the captain badly back in the lineup. Brady has 21 goals, 11 power-play goals, and 44 total points, with 18 of those coming on the power play. His return will be vital if the Senators stand any chance of making it into the playoffs. Everybody will be looking at whether the player will be able to get himself back on the ice and rescue the situation with the Senators.
This is a developing report…