Maple Leafs' Division Rival Loses Captain Brady Tkachuk For At Least A Month
Photo credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The Ottawa Senators are not having a good start to their season as they announced captain Brady Tkachuk would be out for at least the next month with a wrist injury.
2025-26 was supposed to be a great year for the Ottawa Senators but they haven't gotten off to the hottest start. One win in three games is not the worst outcome, but the team has been outscored 10-3 in those losses; an unsightly number thus far.
Things just went from bad to much, much worse though for the Toronto Maple Leafs' provincial rivals.
According to the Ottawa Senators and head coach Travis Green, Tkachuk will miss the next several weeks with a wrist injury that he suffered during Monday's 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators.
Freak Injury Leaves Senators Captain-less
The injury occurred when Tkachuk was shoved into the boards and connected with his wrists up against the lip where the boards and glass meet:
It's an awful bit of news for the Senators, and makes it the second Tkachuk to go down with a serious injury as his brother Matthew is going to miss several months after undergoing surgery.
This season, Tkachuk has three assists in three games, with a plus-1 rating and 10 hits in 16:37 average TOI.
Brady Tkachuk's Second Opinion Bad News For Senators
While it's always best to get multiple opinions before getting medical treatment or surgery, the news for Brady Tkachuk seems to have gone from bad to potentially worse.
Although expected to miss at least a month, according to the Ottawa Citizen's Bruce Garrioch; it could be longer:
The Senators are hoping for the best, but the expectation is that they could be without Tkachuk for two months.
The indications are that the meeting with [Dr.] Hotchkiss is to confirm that Tkachuk does need to go under the knife after the initial diagnosis from the medical staff in Ottawa.
Ottawa owner Michael Andlauer told reporters at the National Hockey League's board of governors meeting in New York on Wednesday that Tkachuk was meeting with the surgeon and the club would have more information on Thursday.
The indications are that the meeting with [Dr.] Hotchkiss is to confirm that Tkachuk does need to go under the knife after the initial diagnosis from the medical staff in Ottawa.
Ottawa owner Michael Andlauer told reporters at the National Hockey League's board of governors meeting in New York on Wednesday that Tkachuk was meeting with the surgeon and the club would have more information on Thursday.
Garrioch also believes that Tkachuk will end up getting surgery, only as if to get the recovery process going as soon as possible:
It would be more surprising if Tkachuk didn't undergo surgery after meeting and that would take place immediately to begin the road to recovery as quickly as possible.
So with that being said; how can Toronto take advantage?
What Brady Tkachuk's Absence Means for the Maple Leafs in the Atlantic
As much of a blow it is to the Senators early on, it's a bit of a blessing in disguise for their rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Tkachuk has been a notorious thorn in the side of the blue and white for years, and depending on if he needs surgery or not, it could be a huge benefit for the Leafs.
While Ottawa and Toronto don't come face to face until December 27th, if Tkachuk is going to be out for the next couple of months, it might be too soon to bring him back and the Maple Leafs can take advantage.
But even if he's back by then, the Senators are still losing their heart and soul, a top offensive player, and most importantly their captain.
It will be up to guys like Tim Stutzle and Dylan Cozens to carry the load; and thankfully Shane Pinto has emerged as a true reliable scorer so they still have a decent lineup to throw out there sans Tkachuk.
Toronto is in the middle of a five-game home-stand and they need a bounce back stretch to get through at least the next month as Ottawa nurses the wounds of their captain.
If not, they've wasted a perfectly good opportunity to bridge the gap between them and their provincial rivals.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 14 | 938 ANSWERS Maple Leafs' Division Rival Loses Captain Brady Tkachuk For At Least A Month Can the Maple Leafs take advantage of Brady Tkachuk's injury to gain a lead on Ottawa or not? | ||
| Yes They Can! | 836 | 89.1 % |
| Not A Chance! | 102 | 10.9 % |
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