Brady Tkachuk has been cleared for takeoff.
The Ottawa Senators’ captain confirmed on the Wingmen podcast he does with his brother, Matthew, on Wednesday morning that he will make his return from the injury list on Friday afternoon against the St. Louis Blues.
The Ottawa Citizen reported on Monday that Tkachuk had Friday circled on his calendar. The podcast was taped before the Senators faced the Los Angeles Kings on Monday.
“I’m feeling great,” Tkachuk said. “The no contact jersey is coming off. I’m ready to take some bumps, take some hits and I’ve got a little battle in me.
“I can’t believe I’ve got six periods left and then we’re back. I’ve got a couple of bag skates, I’ve got to get through those. We have to check some boxes, but everything looks good for Friday. The boys have been playing great. I’m just excited to join them.”
There is no better stage than the Enterprise Center for Tkachuk to make his return. He grew up in St. Louis; his father, Keith, is a former NHLer who spent a large part of his career with the Blues and now works in the front office.
Tkachuk will get to spend Thanksgiving Day at the family home in a St Louis suburb with his mother, Chantal, and Keith. If you think about it, the timing actually couldn’t be more perfect for Tkachuk and the Senators.
“That’s great to hear, I’m glad you’re back,” said Matthew, who skated for the first time last week since having surgery for a torn adductor.
Brady said that Keith and Chantal are hosting a team dinner with all the players and staff on Thursday. The game against the Blues will be the fourth game of the club’s seven-game road trip that will wrap up next Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.
“It’s only fitting, Thursday, Thanksgiving, just excited to be in St. Louis, have all the boys, the trainers, the whole team, to mom and dad’s,” Tkachuk said. “What’s great is that we have a (4 P.M) in St. Lous so I’ll be able to get right into it.
“This is a great trip. Everybody has been playing great. I don’t think we’ve ever started 2-0 on a California trip. We’re just looking to build and when I join the group on Friday just join and help what they’ve been building for the last six weeks.”
The Senators headed into the game against the Knights with a 10-5-4 record without Tkachuk. That’s impressive because there was a lot of concern about what this club might look like without him.
He tore a ligament in his right thumb when he was hit into the boards by Nashville Predators’ defenceman Roman Josi during the club’s home opener on Oct. 13th, which required surgery to repair.
The timeline was six to seven weeks when Tkachuk had the procedure on Oct. 16th. He met with surgeon Dr. Robert Hotchkiss in New York before the club left for California and was given the green light to resume all activities.
Tkachuk gave his “Wingman of the week” award to Senators’ head athletic therapist, Dom Nicoletta.
“I want to give him this honour,” Tkachuk said of Nicoletta. “He’s helped me get back, and feeling great. He is my absolute boy. I’m very thankful, not just for him, he’s the guy I’ve been seeing the most.
“All the support staff in Ottawa. We wouldn’t be able to get back as quick as we can without Dom and without all the trainers.”
Tkachuk should be in pretty good shape. He has been on the ice almost every day since he had the surgery and worked with skating coach Shelley Kettles on that aspect of his game.
About two weeks ago, he was given the go-ahead to start handling the puck, and he has been stepping up the intensity of his workouts in the last week to help get up to speed in his comeback.
Jody Shelley, a former NHL player and a colour analyst on Prime Video’s broadcast of Monday Night Hockey, said that Tkachuk took about 20 faceoffs during the club’s skate in Los Angeles on Monday.
That’s a big part of Tkachuk’s game.
Just because Tkachuk is back, that doesn’t mean the Senators need to change the way they play. The Senators have to keep playing the way they have to continue to have success.
This will give coach Travis Green more options with his lines, but the expectation is that Tkachuk will skate with Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson on the club’s top line.
The Senators will be without alternate captain Thomas Chabot for the foreseeable future. He reinjured an upper-body muscle ailment on Saturday against the Sharks, and the belief is that he has left the road trip.
There is no timetable for winger Ridly Greig, who has been out 10 days.
bgarrioch@postmedia.com