NHL Odds: Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk returning to lineup on Friday against Blues

Ottawa senators captain Brady Tkachuk will return to the lineup on Friday when the team faces his hometown St. Louis Blues.

Here’s what you need to know.

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Brady Tkachuk

Tkachuk announced he will return to the lineup in St. Louis on the Wingmen podcast he co-hosts with brother Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers.

“I’m feeling great,” Tkachuk said on Monday’s podcast. “The no contact jersey is coming off. I’m ready to take some bumps, take some hits and I’ve got a little battle in me.”

“I can’t believe I’ve got six periods left and then we’re back. I’ve got a couple of bag skates, I’ve got to get through those. We have to check some boxes, but everything looks good for Friday. The boys have been playing great. I’m just excited to join them.”

Head coach Travis Green told reporters on Monday that Tkachuk would return to the lineup “sooner rather than later”, but he would not play on Wednesday in Vegas.

The 26-year-old was injured in the third game of the season on Oct. 13 and had thumb surgery to repair a torn ligament a few days later. He posted three assists with four penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating over those three games.

Tkachuk, who has missed 19 games, resumed skating with teammates two weeks ago. His recovery timeline was estimated at six-to-eight weeks.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators went 10-5-4 without Tkachuk in the lineup. Ottawa, the only Canadian team currently in a playoff spot, is 11-7-4 overall and sit third in the Atlantic Division standings.

After breaking a seven-year playoff drought last year, the Sens are looking to take another step forward. They are -170 to make the playoffs and they have the third-shortest odds to win the Atlantic Division at +700.

Ottawa still has one more game to play without Tkachuk. They’ll face the Golden Knights as +145 underdogs on Wednesday before travelling to St. Louis on Friday.