NHL

After A Rough Ending In Chicago, Andre Burakovsky's Fresh Start Begins Saturday

October 10, 2026

The Ottawa Senators welcome back veteran forward Andre Burakovsky to the lineup for Saturday’s home match against the Nashville Predators, marking his debut with the team after a difficult end to his season in Chicago. Burakovsky, acquired by Ottawa in the offseason, will step into a key offensive role alongside Tim Stützle and Drake Batherson, replacing forward William Eklund, who was placed on long-term injured reserve following a serious ankle injury suffered Thursday night in a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

The injury occurred early in the first period when Eklund collided with Flyers defenseman Simon Benoit and twisted his skate into the boards, leaving him unable to bear weight on his left leg. Head coach Travis Green confirmed Eklund’s absence will span at least 10 games and 24 calendar days, dealing another setback to a Senators squad already dealing with injuries to Jake Sanderson and Linus Ullmark earlier in the season.

Ottawa enters the game with a 3-1 record, having split their first two road contests before rebounding with a win over Philadelphia, where rookie defenseman Carter Yakemchuk scored the game-winning goal on a third-period power play. Burakovsky’s return offers Ottawa a chance to restore offensive firepower, as he showed early promise this season with 29 points in his first 43 games before struggling in his final 32 appearances with the Blackhawks.