Brady Tkachuk injury: Playoff-seeking Senators receive big blow on captain's availability ahead of Sabres matchup

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk will not be available for Tuesday night's game against the Buffalo Sabres.

The star forward was absent from the morning skate and has been ruled out with an upper-body injury. Tkachuk was involved in a collision with Ryan Graves near the end of the second period during Sunday's 1-0 loss in Pittsburgh. He immediately skated off in discomfort, though he returned for the third and completed the game with no concerns.

However, several days later, the injury still appears to be nagging. Ottawa recalled forward Angus Crookshank from the AHL affiliate Belleville Senators, who is poised to fill in on the fourth line in Tkachuk's absence on Tuesday night against Buffalo.

Senators reporter and columnist for the Ottawa Citizen, Bruce Garrioch, shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday morning.

"Brady Tkachuk won't play. Upper body injury #Sens," Garrioch wrote.

Michael Amadio moved to the third line alongside Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig, where Brady Tkachuk has been slotted for the last few games. Ottawa has a busy schedule with nine games in the next 17 days, so it's fair to wonder when the captain could return to the lineup.

Brady Tkachuk has been banged up for most of the year

After missing just four games combined over the previous four seasons, Brady Tkachuk has dealt with various injuries in 2024-25.

He suffered a lower-body injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off, crashing into the side of the net in the final round-robin game against Team Finland. He played in the final against Team Canada but was sidelined for the first two Senators games following the break. Even upon returning, it's been clear that Tkachuk is playing through the ailment.

Now dealing with a separate issue, Ottawa will need its captain to get back to full health in time for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tkachuk has had another productive year despite the injuries, recording 55 points (29 goals, 26 assists) in 71 games this season. He's seeking his first taste of postseason action in his seventh season in the NHL.

The Senators will be in action on Tuesday night without Brady Tkachuk when they host the Buffalo Sabres. The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET at Canadian Tire Centre.