Brady Tkachuk turned his back on Ottawa. How hostile will his Panthers return be?

Florida Panthers forward Brady Tkachuk is set to face his former team, the Ottawa Senators, as an opponent for the first time on Wednesday. Tkachuk, who served five seasons as Ottawa's captain, was dealt to Florida in a blockbuster trade on June 21 after informing management he would not re-sign. Ahead of his return to Canadian Tire Centre, questions loom regarding how hostile the crowd's reception will be.

Tkachuk denied fan speculation that he mentally checked out during his final season in Ottawa, insisting he gave everything he had. The 27-year-old winger enters the matchup in strong form, having recorded consecutive natural hat tricks and tallying 10 points over his last four games for the Panthers.