The Ottawa Senators will have to soldier on without captain Brady Tkachuk.
Coach Travis Green told reporters on Tuesday morning at the Canadian Tire Centre that Tkachuk will be out at least a month with a right hand/wrist injury he suffered in the club’s 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Monday.
The only good news is winger Drake Batherson will return against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night on the road.
Surgery also hasn’t been ruled out, and that’s why the Senators are seeking a second opinion.
“He’s going to miss a significant amount of time,” Green said. “We’ll know more in the next 24 hours. We don’t know exactly, but it’s four weeks plus. We don’t know exactly.”
Tkachuk was slammed into the boards by Nashville’s Roman Josi early in the first. He got into a bit of a sparring match with Michael Bunting, but threw off his glove after the incident and was stretching his right hand.
Initially, Tkachuk went to the dressing room and missed a couple of shifts before returning to the game. He played until midway through the third period, then didn’t see the ice in the last 10 minutes.
Tkachuk had an X-ray post-game, and his right wrist was wrapped with ice.
Losing Tkachuk for any length of time is a huge blow. He is the straw that stirs the drink and leads this team into battle. He anchors the top line with centre Tim Stutzle, and that’s why this is a tough loss.
Tkachuk finished with 13 minutes and 53 seconds of ice time against the Predators. He finished with two shots and six hits.
He missed two games last season because of an injury he suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and then another eight games after suffering an undisclosed upper-body injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Tkachuk finished with 29 goals and 55 points in 72 games last season with 123 penalty minutes. He recorded three assists in the club’s 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in last Thursday’s season opener.
More later …