Senators scratch expensive forward for unexpected enforcer after Travis Green's stunning comments

Hayden Hodgson is in the Senators lineup tonight, and the timing is hard to miss.

He replaces Andre Burakovsky as Ottawa hosts Brady Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers, marking the first time the former captain has played in Ottawa since the June trade.

Head coach Travis Green is expecting a physical game, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, and Hodgson fits that bill.

The rugged winger has been a healthy scratch for several recent Senators games, including contests against Philadelphia and Nashville earlier this month. Tonight he gets a real opportunity.

Last season he racked up 134 penalty minutes in 47 AHL games, and during an eight-game NHL stint with Ottawa in November he delivered 21 hits.

That's the kind of résumé a coach reaches for when he expects the game to get heavy.

Burakovsky, 31, missed the start of the season with an upper-body injury before making his Senators debut on October 10 against Nashville.

Ottawa added him from Chicago in June, hoping he could help ease the loss of Tkachuk.

Ottawa has dealt with its share of injuries early, too, with William Eklund hurt in the home opener and expected to be out for an extended period.

Tkachuk, meanwhile, spent eight seasons in Ottawa and wore the captaincy for five of them.

He finished his Ottawa run with 213 goals, 463 points and 821 penalty minutes.

Florida sent three first-round picks and a second-rounder to Ottawa for him, which means the Senators have plenty of future assets to lean on.

Expect a loud building, and expect Hodgson to be noticed early.

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