The Ottawa Senators got hit with brutal news, landing on their captain’s shoulders. Brady Tkachuk, the heartbeat of this group, is out for at least a month after taking an ugly hit in Monday’s 4-1 loss to Nashville. The moment that changed everything came barely five minutes in when Roman Josi caught him with a cross-check from behind, and Tkachuk crashed hard into the boards.
Can the Senators Survive Without Brady Tkachuk?
Even though he tried to skate through it, with nearly 14 minutes on the ice, you could tell something was off. He did not come back late, and afterward, he was spotted with his wrist wrapped up.
Coach Travis Green called it “significant” and said he will miss real time. Tkachuk is getting a second opinion in New York, and there is talk that surgery might be on the table.
TSN’s Craig Button did not hold back. He called Josi’s cross-check “dirty, reckless, and dangerous.” Josi does not have the rep of a dirty player, but Button was not giving him a pass. “There’s no place for it in the game,” Button said. “It’s worthy of a suspension and I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t get suspended.”
So far, the league has kept quiet. Still, plenty of fans, and even a few players, think discipline is coming. Tkachuk is one of those guys who plays hard every night. That style makes him who he is, meaning he is punished more. Button brought up Stan Mikita as an example of learning to dial it back without losing the edge. Maybe Brady is staring at that same choice now.
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This is not the first time he has been banged up. Last season, it was his hip and upper body. Even then, he still dropped 55 points in 72 games and helped snap Ottawa’s long playoff drought. Missing him now is going to sting. The Sens are already in a rough spot. They won their opener, then dropped three straight, including an 8-4 mess against Buffalo. The penalty kill fell apart as eight goals were allowed in four games. Without Brady, the holes get bigger.
Coach Green tried to keep it steady. “Guys get injured, and that’s part of it. Not to sound cold, but that’s the sport we play. Guys are going to get hurt,” he said. “No one wants that, and no one wants to see players get hurt. But we’re also not going to sit here and dwell on it for any amount of time. He’s a big part of our team, and everybody knows that. It’s next man up and that’s our expectation,” he added.
Can Ottawa Hang On Without Their Captain?
Things are not getting easier. Seattle, the Islanders, and Edmonton are up next, and those are tough matchups. The goaltending has not helped. In that Buffalo game, Leevi Merilainen gave up seven goals on 26 shots. The penalty kill looked out of sorts, and Buffalo had too much space and time.
There is at least one bright spot to point to. Last year, Ottawa went 5-2-1 during a stretch without Brady late in the year. If the depth guys step up again, maybe they can weather this. If surgery happens, the timeline could stretch, which might even put his Team USA Olympic hopes in February in trouble. That is a huge subplot that is not getting enough attention.
Right now, the Sens have to grind. How long Brady is out might decide the outcome of this season.
