Brady Tkachuk sheds light on his 'nagging' injury ahead of Senators vs Jets game

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk is on day-to-day status with a lower-body injury and may not play against the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday. While he got injured in the round-robin phase, Tkachuk played with it in the USA's 3-2 overtime loss to Canada in the 4 Nations final.

The winger felt something in the game against Sweden before crashing into the post.

"It felt like you were playing 40 (minutes). Just the price you pay for trying to do whatever it takes to win," Tkachuk said to The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie. "It was just actually right before I went to the post. I made a move and felt it right away, and then just going into the post was just the aftermath."

Tkachuk missed Saturday’s game against Montreal and left Tuesday’s practice early. He said his body still doesn’t feel great. So, he wants to avoid making things worse.

"I think everybody in (the dressing room), Sens fans, they don’t want to see something nagging and take away from my game for the next 24-25 games. Maybe take the time for one more, just to be ready to go," Tkachuk said. "But yeah, we’ll just have to wait and see."

Brady Tkachuk is optimistic about playing on Wednesday but will assess his health first. Senators coach Travis Green will provide an update before the Jets vs. Senators game.

Regardless of his status for Wednesday's game, Tkachuk knows the importance of these games and has confidence in his team. He believes they will play well and make Ottawa proud.

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Brady Tkachuk mentioned that his 4 Nations performance "wasn’t a fluke"

Brady Tkachuk wants to prove his performance at the 4 Nations Face-Off wasn't just luck. He scored three goals for the USA, including one in the final against Canada. This season, he has recorded 21 goals, 23 assists, 44 points, 234 shots on goal and 30 blocked shots. Additionally, he has 188 hits and 101 penalty minutes in 56 games.

"Maybe it takes an extra day to be 100 percent and be ready to go to show everybody what we’re made of, and show everybody that tournament wasn’t a fluke for me individually and I could play like that for 24-plus games.” Tkachuk said.

The Senators are also missing Josh Norris and Shane Pinto. Both skated Tuesday, but Pinto wore a non-contact jersey. The team has lost four straight games, so if Brady Tkachuk sits out during Wednesday's game, Ottawa may need help from AHL Belleville.