There is something special and unique about the collection of players, coaches and executives that currently make up the Florida Panthers.
The only thing that has equaled the love and respect they all have for one another is the success that they have found at the highest level, reaching the Stanley Cup Final three years in a row and winning it in each of the past two visits.
A player who can be widely considered as the face of the franchise is forward Matthew Tkachuk.
Florida acquired Tkachuk in an offseason trade with the Calgary Flames during the summer of 2022.
Despite only being around for three seasons, Tkachuk has already make quite the impression on the Panthers franchise.
In 211 regular season games, Tkachuk has racked up 88 goals and 254 points, helping Florida qualify for the playoffs in each of his three years.
It’s when the postseason begins that Tkachuk really starts to shine, as his highly skilled, physical style gets taken to another level as the importance of each games continue to ramp up.
Through his 67 playoff games in a Panthers sweater, Tkachuk has scored 25 goals and added 44 assists while helping Florida reach the Final in each of his seasons with the team.
Few players can have such a significant impact on a franchise in such a relatively short amount of time, but Tkachuk is very much the “unicorn” that Florida General Manager Bill Zito described him as during Tkachuk’s introductory press conference at Amerant Bank Arena.
He’s also locked up for the next five seasons, which should be the prime years of his career, and he’s surrounded by fellow elite players who are similarly locked up for extended periods of time.
When Tkachuk’s current contract expires after the 2029-30 season, there will still be a decent amount of Florida’s core players who will still be under contract.
Also, in a rising salary cap world where they can continue adding pieces without sacrificing the core that’s in place, Florida may not be done winning Stanley Cups in 2030.
Considering what we’ve seen in terms of loyalty by Florida’s players and taking less money to keep the train rolling and the team flush with talent, it’s reasonable to think Tkachuk would continue and perhaps finish out his career with the Panthers.
With all that being considered, it’s hard to think that Tkachuk’s No. 19 won’t someday be hanging in the rafters along with Florida’s multiple Stanley Cup banners.
He's the latest in several current Panthers players who we've pondered if they will someday have their number retired by the franchise: Sasha Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Sergei Bobrovsky and Sam Reinhart.
Do you agree with any of all of these? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Photo caption: Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) hoist the Stanley Cup after game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)