Brady Tkachuk Addresses Playoff Availability After 'Scary' Injury
The Ottawa Senators will enter the postseason after securing a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference before their regular-season finale on Wednesday, setting up a first-round matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes.
With the playoffs approaching, the Senators seem to be erring on the side of caution and are expected to leave most of their top contributors out of the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, as they already did earlier this week.
One of the biggest Senators questions heading into the postseason involves the status of captain Brady Tkachuk, who exited the game against the New York Islanders on Saturday after a weird-looking action on the ice.
The incident, with Tkachuk visibly shaken then and there, created immediate concern about his health, given the timing late in the regular season. Tkachuk finally broke his silence on the injury and addressed the situation on Tuesday.
"That was one of the weirdest, honestly scary moments," Tkachuk said. "Did a bunch of tests, feeling good, we'll see about (playing on Wednesday), but ready to go for what's to come."
Tkachuk provided further detail on what happened during the injury scare.
"I threw a hit in the corner and just slowly, kind of, my vision just started going," Tkachuk said. "And nothing hit me in the head all game. I just kind of lost vision. I saw the video. (Ryan Pulock's) stick never hit me, coming off the bench."
Tkachuk said this was one of the "weirdest" and "scary" moments he's endured. Earlier in the game, Tkachuk threw a hit in the corner of the ice and temporarily lost his vision.
— Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) April 14, 2026
In the clip below, Tkachuk also lost his vision, again, as he turned away from Ryan Pulock. https://t.co/F6CnSiVsZD
Tkachuk said the issue was resolved quickly once he reached the bench.
"Right when I sat down, I kind of got everything back really quick," Tkachuk said. "Obviously, it was nerve-wracking and scary, but no, feeling good."
Tkachuk, who will finish the regular season with 59 points (22 goals and 37 assists) in 60 games if he doesn't play on Wednesday, confirmed he'll be ready for the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this weekend.
The date for Game 1 between the Senators and the Hurricanes hasn't been announced yet.
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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 8:30 AM.