Expect captain Brady Tkachuk to be on the ice for the Ottawa Senators when the Stanley Cup playoffs start Saturday.
That word comes from head coach Travis Green, who had this simple response Monday when asked if Tkachuk would be back in time for the start of the playoffs: "I do."
Tkachuk, 25, practiced Monday for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury from a hit by Pittsburgh's Ryan Graves on March 30. The forward leads Ottawa with 29 goals and is tied for third on the team with 55 points in 71 games.
"He has to [practice]," Green said. "If you want to be on top of your game after you've been out ... he's no different than any other player, you've got to come back and get some practice time. He's skated on his own for a bit now and it's good to get him with the group. I thought he looked sharp. And I'm sure he'll skate again [Tuesday]."
Tkachuk will miss his eighth consecutive game Tuesday when the Sens host the Chicago Blackhawks. It is uncertain if he will play in the regular-season finale Thursday against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes.
