Alfie is ready to play

There will be an NHL captain ready to return from a concussion on Friday night.

Daniel Alfredsson, who has missed the past five games with a concussion, appears set to play for the Ottawa Senators when they visit Buffalo.

"Yeah, I'm expecting myself to be back and ready to go," Alfredsson said after Thursday afternoon's practice in Ottawa.

Alfredsson, who turns 39 next month, was diagnosed with a concussion for the first time in his career when he was hit by New York Rangers forward Wojtek Wolski on Oct. 29. Alfredsson says he won't be thinking about his head injury when he suits up against the Sabres.

"I'm not going to be cautious. If you don't feel you're ready, then you shouldn't start playing again. I feel confident in my reaction time, so I'll just play as normal," added Alfredsson.

The return of Alfredsson is remarkable, considering he said he was having issues playing with his children just seven days ago. He was experiencing symptoms while doing light exercises, but those have vanished in the past few days as he has increased his physical workload.

"It was frustrating for a time, but I can't say that I felt terrible. I had headaches the day it happened, but since then I haven't taken any pain medication," explained Alfredsson. "I was pretty confident it was going to settle down."

Alfredsson could help the Senators back on track as they have lost four consecutive games. The offense has sputtered in his absence, as the power play has gone 0-for-11 during the losing streak.

"For us right now, a shot in the arm offensively would be a real good thing," said head coach Paul MacLean. "He's averaged 30 goals a year. He's got a track record of doing it. And it gives you a second line that the other team has to respect."

Alfredsson will play on a line with Stephane Da Costa and Nick Folingo against the Sabres, which should help balance out the club's scoring.

"It will be a huge boost to our team to get our captain back in the lineup," added Jason Spezza. "He does a lot for our team both on and off the ice. To have him back as a part of our team will give us a bit of a jump."

Alfredsson's return, however, will coincide with the absence of another veteran forward. MacLean revealed today that winger Chris Neil suffered an ankle injury in the 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday night. Neil won't travel with the team and has been ruled out of both games this weekend.