Tkachuk Considers Surgery, Could Miss Playing Time
Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk has not yet decided whether to undergo surgery before the 2025-26 season. The player acknowledged that, if intervention is necessary, he could miss a significant part of the season. Tkachuk, 27, revealed that he suffered a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia while playing for the United States team in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Although he missed the last 25 games of the NHL regular season, he returned for Game 1 of the Panthers’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. In the playoffs, Tkachuk accumulated 23 points (8 goals, 15 assists) in 23 games, including seven points in the final against Edmonton, leading the Panthers to their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship.After the season, Tkachuk indicated that the decision to undergo surgery was a “50/50”, and that the preseason would give him time to make a decision. The player stated that he hopes to return to the ice as soon as possible. If surgery is decided upon, Tkachuk could miss the first two or three months of the season. His contract and his impact on the salary cap could be placed on long-term injured reserve during his recovery. This offseason has been notable for Tkachuk, as he appears on the cover of EA Sports’ NHL 26 game, and is also part of the deluxe edition of the game alongside his brother Brady and his father Keith. Matthew and Brady Tkachuk were selected for the United States men’s hockey team for the Winter Olympics in Italy in 2026. In addition, Matthew married Ellie Connell in July. All this happened after an epic, multi-day Stanley Cup celebration by the Panthers in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, which included spontaneous appearances at bars, clubs, and beaches, as well as a championship parade. The Panthers’ chances of winning a third consecutive Stanley Cup received a boost this summer, when general manager Bill Zito managed to re-sign three star veteran free agents: center Sam Bennett (8 years, $64 million), defenseman Aaron Ekblad (8 years, $48 million), and winger Brad Marchand (6 years, $31.5 million). Tkachuk expressed that he wasn’t surprised that the three players wanted to stay with the Panthers, but he was astonished at how Zito found a way to make the money work under the salary cap. Tkachuk also commented that he was sure Ekblad would return, as he has been a Panther since he was selected by Florida in 2014. He was less certain about Bennett and, especially, Marchand, who had the opportunity to get big contracts in free agency. “When Marchand was first traded [at the deadline this year], I would have thought we would never have the opportunity to keep everyone. But as time goes on and you have success, and you know the guys’ desires for the rest of their careers, you can start to connect the dots,” Tkachuk said. “People just don’t want to leave Florida when they get [here]. We have something really good going on right now, and everyone wants to be a part of it.”We had no hope at the beginning that he would survive the first round.
Paul Maurice, Panthers Coach
