I don't think sending a player back to junior has ever hurt them. Certainly there have been a few that were bored, and wasted a year, like Getzlaf for instance. And I believe the same would be true for Tkachuk - it wouldn't harm him, but I doubt it would teach him much (other than bad habits).
There are definitely players who were harmed by keeping them up. Typically, this includes players who are either mentally or physically not ready for the NHL. Neither of those apply to Tkachuk.
For me, the thing that tips the scales is that he already thinks and acts like a pro. He has been around pros all his life and was emotionally ready for being a pro before he got here. He already knows what it takes to be - and is - a pro.
He is also physically ready, and his game can handle it.
The other issue is the contract argument, which, IMO, is completely irrelevant, simply because the future is entirely unknowable. Will burning a year now help, or hurt the cap situation in two or three years? Absolutely unknowable.
The only sensible approach is to do what you believe is best for the player, and based on the fact that he is capable of playing in the NHL, plus the fact that he is already a pro in every sense, sending him down seems pointless to me.
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