Florida’s visit to Ottawa on Wednesday brings Brady Tkachuk back against the Senators for the first time since his offseason move to the Panthers, with brother Matthew alongside him and both driving play in the attacking end. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. ET.
- Brady Tkachuk will face his former Ottawa club for the first time after joining Florida in the offseason.
- Brady Tkachuk ranks third in the NHL in offensive-zone time percentage at 51.3 percent. Matthew Tkachuk is fifth at 50.2 percent.
- Ottawa expects defenseman Jake Sanderson back Wednesday after he was limited to one game by injury.
- Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot is sidelined by an injury.
- Rookie Carter Yakemchuk has taken on a larger role in Ottawa’s blue-line group during the absences.
- Linus Ullmark enters the night leading the League with a .956 save percentage at 5-on-5, among goaltenders with at least five appearances.
- Ullmark has posted a save percentage above .900 in six of seven starts, an 85.7 percent quality-start rate that leads the NHL.
What it means for Panthers-Senators
The Tkachuks have spent plenty of time on the right side of the puck this season. Carolina defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere leads the NHL at 52.2 percent offensive-zone time, followed by Hurricanes forward Jackson Blake at 52.0. Brady Tkachuk sits next at 51.3, ahead of Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov at 50.5 and Matthew Tkachuk at 50.2.
For Brady, the return to Ottawa also matches a long-running part of his game: getting to the net. Since puck and player tracking began in 2021-22, he has produced 654 high-danger shots on goal, third most in the League. Edmonton’s Zach Hyman leads that stretch with 731, while Toronto’s John Tavares is second with 666.
Ottawa’s best counterpunch may come from the blue line. The Senators have recorded nine shot attempts at 90 mph or faster, tied for fourth in the NHL with the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings. Toronto leads with 15, while Pittsburgh and Colorado are tied for second with 10 apiece.
Tyler Kleven owns Ottawa’s hardest blast this season at 96.78 mph, ninth fastest in the League. He had the NHL’s top shot speed last season, reaching 103.51 mph across the regular season and playoffs. Florida has generated only one 90-plus mph attempt, tied for 29th among the 32 clubs.
Yakemchuk has supplied some of that velocity while filling in. His hardest tracked shot is 93.85 mph, placing him in the 92nd percentile among NHL defensemen. His 81.70 mph average shot speed sits in the 99th percentile. He also ranks in the 95th percentile with a 47.4 percent offensive-zone time share and in the 91st percentile after averaging 9.07 miles skated per 60 minutes.
Ottawa has reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the past two seasons with Ullmark anchoring the crease. On Wednesday, the Senators will need that work from their goaltender and their reshaped defense against a Florida group featuring both Tkachuk brothers.
