Brady Tkachuk hasn't skated since exiting a pre-season game on Sept. 22, but coach Paul Maurice remains unconcerned about his availability for the NHL season opener on Tuesday.
The Florida Panthers weren't going to make it through pre-season with a fully healthy lineup after Brad Marchand announced he would undergo surgery, but they hoped that would be the only blemish.
Instead, newly acquired winger Brady Tkachuk exited the Panthers' second pre-season game injured and hasn't skated since.
Coach Paul Maurice offered a vague update, saying there was no concern and that his removal from the game was precautionary.
We now know it is a bit more than precautionary, but Maurice remains firm that he isn't overly concerned.
At practice on Friday, following the Panthers' 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, Maurice addressed the media, providing an update on Tkachuk, mentioning he expects him to skate on Saturday and, if not, on Monday, continuing to reiterate that he will be available on Tuesday for the season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Tkachuk's injury remains undisclosed. He played just 9:40 of the pre-season game against the Hurricanes before exiting with his ailment.
In the two pre-season games he featured in, he notched three goals and five points, showing great chemistry with Aleksander Barkov.
Tkachuk faced injury issues in 2025-26, missing 22 games with a thumb injury and other lower- and upper-body ailments.
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