Tkachuk Considers Surgery: Could He Miss Game Time?
Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk has not yet made a definitive decision on whether to undergo surgery before the 2025-26 season. The 27-year-old player acknowledged that a surgical intervention could result in a prolonged absence from the ice. Tkachuk revealed that he suffered a groin injury and a sports hernia while playing for the United States team at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Despite missing the last 25 games of the NHL regular season, he returned for the first game 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.After the season, Tkachuk indicated that the decision to have surgery was “50/50”, and that the offseason would give him enough time to decide. Tkachuk stated that “I still hope to get on the ice as soon as possible.” If he decides on surgery, he could miss several months of competition. “If I have surgery, it will definitely be the first two or maybe three months if that’s the case. But it’s still undecided,” said the Panthers star, whose contract and salary could be placed on long-term injured reserve during his recovery. The offseason has been notable for Tkachuk. He appears on the cover of EA Sports’ NHL 26 and also 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 U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team for the Winter Games in Italy next year. In addition, Matthew Tkachuk married Ellie Connell in July. All this happened after an epic, multi-day Stanley Cup celebration by the Panthers in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, with spontaneous appearances at bars, clubs, and beaches, as well as a championship parade.“We weren’t optimistic at first about surviving the first round.”
Paul Maurice, Panthers Coach
The Panthers’ chances of winning their third consecutive Stanley Cup received a boost this summer when general manager Bill Zito managed to re-sign a trio of 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 commented that he wasn’t surprised that the three players wanted to stay with the Panthers, but he was astonished that Zito found a way to make the money work under the salary cap. “I thought, because of the way the money was tied up, it wasn’t known if it would 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 have the opportunity to, hopefully, repeat it with them this year.” Tkachuk expressed confidence that Ekblad would return, having been a Panther since being selected by Florida in the 2014 draft. He was a little less certain about Bennett and especially Marchand, who had the opportunity to break the bank in free agency. “When Marchand was first traded [at the spring deadline], 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’ 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 come [here]. We have something too good going on right now, and everyone wants to be a part of it.”
