Matthew Tkachuk Matthew Tkachuk

This is unfortunate news… More details below:

Bad news coming out of Florida this week. Matthew Tkachuk may be forced to go under the knife in the coming weeks, and his absence could stretch until the Christmas break. Nick Kypreos has reported that the Florida Panthers’ star forward might need surgery to address a lingering injury.

Kypreos notes that Tkachuk could require corrective surgery, which would potentially sideline him until the holiday break.

“There’s a possibility that Matthew Tkachuk’s injury may need corrective surgery which could keep him out through the Christmas break.”

Right after the Panthers’ Stanley Cup run, Tkachuk revealed he had been playing with a completely torn adductor muscle, ripped off the bone, along with a sports hernia on the same side.

A serious double injury that could easily have kept him out of the playoffs, as he himself admitted, but thanks to the help of the trainers and medical staff who worked tirelessly to keep him on the ice, Tkachuk was able to suit up and play in every postseason game.

Despite those injuries, Tkachuk played in all 23 of Florida’s playoff games, finishing as the team’s top scorer with 23 points, tied with Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe. An impressive feat considering the state of his health, that even head coach Paul Maurice called a “mess.”

“He was a mess,” Maurice said. “That’s the medical term. He was a mess.”

If surgery ends up being necessary, the Panthers could be starting the season without one of their key offensive pillars.

An absence of that length, lasting until Christmas, would be a significant challenge for the team. Kypreos noted however that the Cats could place Tkachuk on LTIR, and get some room on the salary and be compliant.

“If Tkachuk were to miss the beginning of the season and be out for a while, the Panthers would be able to get under the cap by putting his contract on LTIR.”

Sure, the Panthers would miss Tkachuk’s trademark energy and grit on the ice, but he needs to be a 100 percent if he wants to help his team to a third consecutive championship.