Matthew Tkachuk will miss the start of the season with the Panthers
The Florida Panthers’ star forward, Matthew Tkachuk, underwent surgery this month and is expected to miss the start of the regular season, according to an NHL source.
Tkachuk, 27, had stated earlier this month that he anticipated missing “the first two or maybe three months” of the 2025-26 regular season if he decided to undergo a procedure, a decision he was still considering at the time.
The winger revealed after last season that he suffered a groin injury and a sports hernia while playing for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. He missed the final 25 games of the NHL regular season but returned for Game 1 of the Panthers’ first-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tkachuk accumulated 23 points (8 goals, 15 assists) in 23 games during the playoffs, including seven points in the Final against Edmonton, leading the Panthers to their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship.
In June, USA Hockey named Tkachuk as one of the first six members of the U.S. men’s team scheduled to play in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Tkachuk was the only member of the 4 Nations roster who was not scheduled to attend the U.S. men’s Olympic orientation camp in Michigan this week.
Tkachuk is entering his 10th season in the NHL and his fourth with the Panthers. He had 57 points (22 goals and 35 assists) in 52 games last season. His contract has a $9.5 million cap hit. If Tkachuk is placed on long-term injured reserve, it would give Florida much-needed cap relief. PuckPedia has the Panthers $4.5 million over the salary cap before next month’s training camp.
