Brady Tkachuk has been named an Ottawa Senators alternate captain for the second straight season. 

The 22-year-old forward signed a seven-year, $57.5 million contract on Thursday and will don the “A” when he returns to game action. 

Senators head coach D.J. Smith was asked by TSN host Gino Reda on 7-Eleven That's Hockey Thursday night if Tkachuk will be wearing an "A" or the captain's "C" when he returns to the Ottawa lineup.

"No, Brady will get an "A" and then we'll re-evalute from there sometime within the next month and see what it looks like," replied Smith.

Smith told reporters Thursday that the team will go with a series of alternate captains to begin the season and will make a determination on a full-time captain down the road.

Tkachuk will join Thomas Chabot, Nick Paul, Connor Brown and Nikita Zaitsev as players to start the campaign as alternates.

Ottawa has not had a full-time captain since the departure of Erik Karlsson in a deal with the San Jose Sharks in September of 2018. Tkachuk, Chabot and Erik Gudbranson served as alternates last season.

The Senators begin their 2021-22 regular season schedule Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Anton Forsberg will start in net in place of a banged up Matt Murray, while Petr Mrazek will get the nod for the Leafs.