The Ottawa Senators’ massive comeback from the depths of the Atlantic Division to snatch a Wild Card playoff berth is one of the most impressive success stories of the 2025-26 season. As the Senators look forward to, hopefully, a long and eventful postseason run, how soon can the team expect to have its captain back?
Ottawa finally has some answers.
Ottawa Senators Get Brady Tkachuk Injury Update As Playoffs Loom
Tkachuk has had the worst injury luck this season. The good part is, the Senators have managed to do alright, even going so far as making the playoffs, playing without their captain for a significant period of time.
The 26-year-old missed 20 games early in the season due to thumb surgery, returning to the lineup in late November. This month, however, he exited the March 11 game against the New York Islanders, which Ottawa went on to win 3-0.
About Tkachuk’s exit, Sens HC Travis Green simply said that the winger was not “feeling well.” Could the Senators be looking at yet another long stretch of battle without their captain? Except this time, high-stakes, critical postseason games are on the line, and the margin for error is painfully small.
Thankfully, it is unlikely that Tkachuk’s injury is anything to be worried about.Â
“Whatever is wrong with Tkachuk, a league source told the Ottawa Citizen, isn’t serious,” Bruce Garrioch reported. In further relief, during Saturday Headlines on Hockey Night in Canada, Elliotte Friedman also reported that Tkachuk’s injury is not expected to be anything particularly concerning at the moment.
Tkachuk left the game against the Islanders, leaving the Senators to play 18:03 without him. The 26-year-old first left after taking a high stick around his face from defenseman Ryan Pulock in the second period, following which the Sens captain seemed to be in some kind of discomfort.
While he returned to play in the third, he did not last long. However, his absence could just be precautionary above anything else to ensure nothing goes astray before the postseason.
Several Senators players, including Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Thomas Chabot, among others, were also absent from the showdown against the New Jersey Devils, which Ottawa lost in overtime.
For their final regulation game, the Sens will face the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 15, and it will hardly be a surprise if they opt to sit several players for the regular season finale.
Right now, Ottawa’s focus undoubtedly remains on conserving energy and avoiding unnecessary injuries that could compromise the team ahead of the playoffs.
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