Tkachuk Could Miss Months Due to Surgery: Are the Panthers’ Triple Threat at Risk?

Tkachuk Evaluates the Possibility of Surgery Before the 2025-26 Season

Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk is facing a dilemma regarding undergoing surgery before the start of the 2025-26 season. The player has acknowledged that, if the intervention is necessary, he could miss a significant part of the season. Tkachuk, 27, revealed after the season that he suffered a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia while playing for Team USA 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 proved his worth with 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.

We didn’t have any hope at the beginning that he would survive the first round.

Paul Maurice, Coach

Tkachuk, at the end of the season, indicated that the decision to have surgery was “50/50”, adding that the preseason would give him the necessary time to make a decision. The player stated that “I still hope to get on the ice as soon as possible.” If he opts for surgery, Tkachuk could miss several months of action. “If I have surgery, it would definitely be the first two or maybe three months if that’s the case. But it’s not yet decided,” stated the Panthers star, whose contract and its impact on the salary cap could be placed on long-term injured reserve during his recovery. This offseason has been notable for Tkachuk. He appears on the cover of EA Sports’ NHL 26 and shares the cover of the deluxe edition of the game with his brother Brady and his father Keith. Matthew and Brady Tkachuk were two of the first six players named to the United States men’s hockey team for the Winter Olympics in Italy next year. In addition, Matthew Tkachuk married Ellie Connell in July. All this happened after an epic multi-day celebration for the Stanley Cup in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, which included spontaneous appearances in bars, clubs, and beaches, as well as a championship parade. The Panthers’ chances of securing their third consecutive Stanley Cup championship were boosted this summer when general manager Bill Zito managed to re-sign a trio of star veteran free agents: Sam Bennett (8 years, $64 million), Aaron Ekblad (8 years, $48 million), and Brad Marchand (6 years, $31.5 million). Tkachuk said he wasn’t surprised that the three players wanted to stay with the Panthers, but he was amazed that Zito found a way to make the money work under the salary cap. “I thought that because of the way the money was tied up, you didn’t know it was going to be possible, and somehow it was,” he said. “Everyone was taken care of very well, and Bill did a great job of making sure it could happen. I think everyone was rewarded very well, and I’m very excited to hopefully get the chance to do it again with them this year.” Tkachuk expressed confidence that Ekblad would return, having been a Panther since being selected by Florida in 2014. He was a little less certain about Bennett and especially Marchand, who both had the opportunity to break the bank in free agency. “When Marchand was first traded (at the deadline this spring), you would have thought we would never have the opportunity to keep everyone. But with time and success, and getting to know the guys’ wants and 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 right now, and everyone wants to be a part of it.”