The Senators are starting to see the injury picture tilt in two very different directions.
Andre Burakovsky is edging toward a return, and Travis Green said after Friday’s practice that the veteran winger is getting close to making his Senators debut. Burakovsky could be back in the lineup as soon as Saturday when the Nashville Predators come to town.
That bit of good news, though, comes with a heavy blow.
The Senators confirmed that William Eklund has a severe ankle injury and will be out for an extended period after leaving Thursday night’s 2-1 home-opening win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Eklund was hurt in the first period when Flyers defenceman Simon Benoit hit him and he awkwardly jammed his skate hard into the base of the boards. He needed help getting off the ice and could not put weight on his left leg.
It’s a tough break for the 24-year-old, who was just beginning to find his footing in his new setting. Eklund arrived from the San Jose Sharks in the offseason and was expected to be a major part of the Senators’ top six this season.
Friday’s practice also brought a couple of smaller but still notable updates. Defenceman Hoyt Stanley remains with the club, while Cameron Crotty was absent because of illness.
Crotty had already been asked to do more early in the year because of injuries to Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub, and he had handled a depth role with steady minutes. With Crotty sick, Stanley was recalled from Belleville in the middle of Thursday, giving Ottawa another body as the team continues to patch together its lineup.
Sanderson has been out since getting hurt in the season opener against Toronto, Zub has not played yet, and now Eklund is facing a long absence. For a team already juggling lineup changes, getting healthy players back is becoming a pressing need.
In Other News...
Red Wings Standings Chase Just Got Tougher In The Atlantic
Ottawas blue line and forward group are getting closer to full strength, with Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub expected back within the next few days as the Senators continue to work through early-season lineup juggling. Sanderson has been out recovering from injury, while Zub missed camp and the preseason after a knee issue, and both returns would give Ottawa a needed boost on the back end.
Andr Burakovsky is also nearing a comeback from an upper-body injury, adding another layer to a team trying to stabilize its depth. For a Senators club watching the Atlantic race closely, the timing matters, especially with Detroit also getting healthier by activating Chase Stillman and Carter Bear before sending them to Grand Rapids. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Marchands Absence Now Looks Longer Than Panthers Fans Hoped
The injury reports around the league keep stacking up, and Ottawa has its own reason to keep an eye on the Western side of the schedule. William Eklund is out for an extended stretch after suffering an ankle injury, adding another reminder of how quickly a night can change in this league. The good news for the Senators is that surgery is not expected, and the expectation is that he should still return at some point during the regular season.
Around that, several other familiar names are dealing with their own setbacks: Josh Morrissey is day-to-day for Winnipeg, Samuel Montembeault will miss 10 to 14 days for Montreal, and Zach Hyman could be back around practice next week for Edmonton. In Florida, the more notable watch is on Brad Marchand, whose lower-body injury has the Panthers expecting a return in November, a timeline that may feel longer than some around the team were hoping for. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Need More From Ridly Greig Than Agitation Alone
Ridly Greig has already carved out a clear identity for the Senators as a forward who irritates opponents, plays on the edge and never seems far from the scrum. The next step, though, is less about reputation and more about return. Ottawa has seen flashes of offense from him over the past three seasons, enough to suggest there is more to tap into, but not enough yet to call him a settled top-six piece.
The encouraging part for the Senators is that Greigs speed and underlying numbers point to a player who can do more than simply stir things up. What he still needs is the part that often decides whether a pesky winger becomes a real difference-maker: turning his physical play and puck pressure into cleaner wins along the boards and more consistent production once he gets there. For Ottawa, that is the difference between a useful agitator and a forward who can tilt games in more meaningful ways. [Read more 🡒]