The Florida Panthers are on the cusp of welcoming one of the best players in the league back into their lineup. All-Star forward Matthew Tkachuk will be joining the Panthers on their upcoming road trip with the hopes of making his season debut with the Cats. Florida will visit Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo, Carolina and Washington over the course of 11 days, with the only back-to-back coming at the very end of the trip, and a four-day break preceding it. Tkachuk has not played since Game 6 of last year’s Stanley Cup Final, undergoing surgery for a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia after helping the Panthers win their second straight Stanley Cup. Speaking during the first intermission of Florida’s 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, Tkachuk said that he excited to get back with his teammates on the road and continue working toward getting back in the lineup. “Hopefully it’s not much longer before you’re seeing me back out there with the boys,” he said with a grin. “Whether I’m playing on this six-game road trip, if it were to happen, it would probably be toward the end of it, just because I am still in the non-contact jersey. I don’t even have a target right now. It’s going to be nice to be on the road, get in the routine and figure it out from there.” Tkachuk has gotten a few full team practices under his belt, wearing a gold jersey that is meant to signify a player who has not been cleared for regular physical contact. The hope is that he will soon be able to shed that jersey for a blue or white one and start banging around and truly testing his healed injuries. “I'd been going pretty hard for, I don't even know, like, over a month by myself, so it’s been way easier to be out there with the guys,” Tkachuk said. “You kind of forget what it's like to have the stick on puck, or a body in the lane, or the quick two-on-one, so that's why starting to mix in a little bit of pushing, and once guys are able to bump into me and hit me, that'll feel more real.” Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice has been very consistent during his team with the team that when a player is returning from an injury, he wants them to get in one or two full practices without limitations before penciling them back into the lineup for a game. That could be a challenge only because Florida’s potential opportunities to practice are limited due to their game schedule. Starting with Friday’s Winter Classic, the Panthers have a game every other day until Jan. 13, the day after they play in Buffalo. However many more days it may take, Tkachuk is clearly getting close to on the brink of cracking the Cats’ lineup. It’s an exciting time for Tkachuk and the Panthers, who have already shown the kind of boost they can get simply by adding another body to their forward ranks. As we all know, the deeper this team gets, the more dangerous they become. “Every box that has had to be checked so far, has been,” Tkachuk said. “I guess the last one before playing is taking off the no-contact jersey, which we'll have another few skates here and a couple calls, and figure it out from there, but we're feeling pretty good right now.” LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Tarasov, Panthers shut down Colorado, hand Avalanche third regulation loss of season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/tarasov-panthers-shut-down-colorado-hand-avalanche-third-regulation-loss-of-season#google_vignette] The Hockey Show: Winter Classic reaction, from the game to everything else [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/the-hockey-show-winter-classic-reaction-from-the-game-to-everything-else#google_vignette] Panthers aim to avoid third straight loss but that won't be easy against league-leading Avalanche [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/panthers-aim-to-avoid-third-straight-loss-but-that-won-t-be-easy-against-league-leading-avalanche] Three takeaways: Some good, some bad for Panthers, but overall Winter Classic experience was spectacular [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/three-takeaways-some-good-some-bad-for-panthers-but-overall-winter-classic-experience-was-spectacular#google_vignette] Panthers' Seth Jones Exits Winter Classic With Injury; Team Remaining Optimistic [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-seth-jones-exits-winter-classic-with-injury-team-remaining-optimistic] Photo caption: Oct 28, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) waits for the faqceoff during the second period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)
