Burakovsky Is Active. The Hole He's Filling Isn't Small.

Andre Burakovsky was activated Saturday for his season debut against Nashville, which counts as good news for a forward group that has been running short of it. The Senators needed a body on the left side after Eklund's ankle injury ended his season — or at least his early postseason — and Burakovsky gives them a veteran who has been in playoff environments before.

The problem is the math. Eklund was the organizational answer to the left-wing hole Brady Tkachuk left when he was traded to Florida in June. Ottawa gave up the ninth overall pick to get him. He played 27 games' worth of production before going down. Burakovsky stepping in is a reasonable stopgap, but it is a stopgap, and the Senators are now entering the playoffs with their contingency plan playing the role their primary plan was supposed to fill.

The forward situation is only part of it. Sanderson remains day-to-day, the blue line is still short bodies, and Ullmark's status adds a layer of uncertainty in goal. Ottawa is 5-5 over its last ten and allowing 3.1 goals a game in that stretch. Burakovsky's activation is a net positive. It does not change the broader picture, which is a team that has used up most of its margin for error before the first playoff puck drops.