Brady Tkachuk injury update: Senators captain drops subtle hint on target return date from thumb injury

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk is getting closer to returning from his thumb injury. Tkachuk suffered a broken thumb on October 13 after a hit from Nashville’s Roman Josi. The original timeline for recovery was six to eight weeks, and he will complete the six weeks on November 24 during the team’s road trip.

Tkachuk joined the Senators for their seven-game road trip, which begins Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks. He skated with the team on Wednesday in a red non-contact jersey. It was his first full practice since his surgery on October 16. Tkachuk said it felt great to be back on the ice with his teammates.

"It was awesome," Tkachuk said via NHL. "It's just another step in the rehab process, being out there,"

Tkachuk has discussed his recovery on the latest episode of his new Wingmen podcast. He said he hopes to return around American Thanksgiving, following his doctor’s appointment, and hopes to get full clearance.

"It was just so nice to get out," Tkachuk said. [15:38 onwards] "It’s the first time shooting, but I’ve been stick handling this past week and got a doctor's appointment in the next couple of days.

"So I'm excited to hear what he has to say for me and hopefully everything's all cleared. I can go out there and just battle and compete for the next little bit and hopefully around Thanksgiving that we're back. We're ready to rock."

It was Dr. Robert Hotchkiss in New York who performed the surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb. Brady Tkachuk has missed 16 games so far, but he is feeling much better than expected at this stage.

If everything goes well, Tkachuk could return as early as next Wednesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. Another possible return date is November 28, when Ottawa plays the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center.

Senators' performance amid Brady Tkachuk's absence

The Ottawa Senators have played well in several recent games. They earned strong wins against the Boston Bruins and the Utah Mammoth. The team also picked up important victories over Philadelphia and Washington. These results helped them stay in the playoff mix while Brady Tkachuk recovers.

But the Senators still show consistency issues without their captain. They followed good performances with tough losses, including a 1-0 defeat to the LA Kings. The team has struggled to finish chances in close games, with three overtime losses in the past eight games. Ottawa hopes Brady Tkachuk’s return will bring more stability. His presence should help their offense and support their push for stable results.