How does the saying go, it takes a village? When it comes to any notion, of any attempt of even breathing the words of replacing Brady Tkachuk, the only way the Ottawa Senators can do it is with a collective group effort. There must be a Village People joke there. But hey, giving the fan base a day to cool off from the Roman Josi hit on their favourite captain, it’s time for a little comic relief, ain’t it? We were actually going for an Oakland Athletic and Moneyball Scott Hatteberg reference, but we digress.
What Does the Brady Tkachuk Injury Mean for the Ottawa Senators?
Okay, forget that, let’s get down to business. Just how will the Ottawa Senators deal with Brady Tkachuk missing at least four weeks? Moreover, it could still be longer. He is expected to visit with a specialist in the New York area today or tomorrow. At that time, it will be known if he will require surgery or not. If he does require surgery, the four week timeline could be well short of the actual absenteeism period for Tkachuk. Not to worry anyone, but there is the possibility his trip to Milano Cortina to represent Team USA Hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics could be in jeopardy.
So, now that we have the parameters laid out, let’s figure out what Ottawa’s immediate needs and concerns are going forward.
The Rumours Have Started
As part of our recent NHL rumours, we already touched on a relevant topic. That was the Sens are, in all likelihood, searching for some depth scoring help. Through three games, Shane Pinto has half of the Sens eight goals. Too many of their depth guys like Fabian Zetterlund, David Perron, and Michael Amadio have been held pointless thus far. The Sens were already in search of help in 5v5 scoring, and losing Tkachuk only further exacerbates the situation.
It is interesting, that early in the season, the Sens as a team are third in the league with a team expected goal percentage of slightly over 60% at 5v5. However, their actual goal percentage at 45.5%, puts them 20th. Now, Drake Batherson coming back into the lineup should help, as he is an excellent playmaker and can drive offence at a decent rate.
In terms of 5v5 play, the combo of Pinto, along with Giroux and Greig has started strong. You’d think that would be somewhere to start with building the makeshift lines. Cozens and Batherson have shown to be an effective duo. So, even though Perron, Cozens, and Amadio have played well, you have to keep in mind the bottom line, 5v5 scoring. Between Tim Stutzle, with Amadio, Perron, Zetterlund, and even Nick Cousins, it seems there’s a combo there that works. However, the Sens can’t go too long hoping strong analytics turn into goals, before something bigger needs to happen.
With Tkachuk being out, it will give extra ice time to the forwards on the power play. Cozens and Batherson should be main beneficiaries of that fact. Also, Pinto will likely see an increase.
Puckpedia currently lists the Ottawa Senators with around $2.37 million in cap space. However, given Tkachuk’s timeline, they could explore some cap relief with his salary. The only problem with that logic, is that once he’s healthy, you need to deal with that extra salary cap allocation, at that time.
How and Where Will the Help Come From
There are plenty of options in the bottom-six type scoring, like Lars Eller, Olle Lycksell, Arthur Kaliyev, or even a Stephen Halliday. However, the Sens need to replace top-six, 5v5 scoring. These are costly commodities.
If the forward lines can’t start producing more consistently and with more balance, general manager Steve Staios is likely to go exploring for external options. Maybe making a big trade early in the season is easier. As the season wears on, more competition for trade needs will exist. Conversely, teams in a rebuild are much more unlikely to be sellers this early. Unless it is something major, playing around with internal line combinations is preferred. Guys like Stutzle, Cozens, Batherson all have high ceilings if they even approach recent season point totals.
It’s just everything that Brady provides, including leadership and toughness. All the players need to step up, and in all facets. The 5v5 scoring is a bigger team problem. In contrast, it will be a great litmus test to see if it can be handled internally. In any case, buckle up, the season comes fast, and we are already in the thick of it.
Main Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
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