It’s going to be a while until Matthew Tkachuk is back in the Florida Panthers lineup. NHL insider David Pagnotta reported Friday that Tkachuk had surgery several weeks ago and will miss part of the regular season. These are things we have suspected for a while. Back in June, after the Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup, Tkachuk revealed that he had been playing through both a torn hip abductor and a sports hernia. The specifics of Tkachuk’s surgery have not been revealed, but he’s expected to be out until sometime before the 2026 Winter Olympics that take place in February in Milan, Italy. It's been an excellent summer for Tkachuk. He's celebrated a Stanley Cup win (for over a week), had a blast at the championship parade, gotten married, brought the Cup home to St. Louis and traveled with both teammates and his new bride. Now, it's time to recover and prepare to get back in the ring again next winter and spring. Florida is expected to be a Stanley Cup Contender for years to come, and even with Tkachuk out of the lineup for part of the season, as long as he’s good to go for the playoffs, the Panthers are fine with that. Since arriving in South Florida, Tkachuk has helped the Cats reach the Stanley Cup Final in each of his three seasons, logging 88 goals and 254 points in 211 regular season games. He’s been better than a point-per-game player during the playoffs, racking up 25 goals and 69 points in 67 postseason games in a Panthers sweater. Tkachuk’s absence will create an opportunity for someone on Florida’s second line next to Sam Bennett, and candidates who will get a look will likely include Mackie Samoskevich and Evan Rodrigues. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Florida Panthers sign forward Luke Kunin to one-year deal [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-panthers-sign-forward-luke-kunin-to-one-year-deal] Former Barrie Colts star Aaron Ekblad returns to OHL alma mater with Stanley Cup in tow [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/former-barrie-colts-star-aaron-ekblad-returns-to-ohl-alma-mater-with-stanley-cup-in-tow] Panthers' Sam Bennett and Aleksander Barkov Feature In NHL Network's Rankings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/panthers-sam-bennett-and-aleksander-barkov-feature-in-nhl-network-s-rankings] Conn Smythe winner Sam Bennett made sure to visit his grandma on special day with Stanley Cup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/conn-smythe-winner-sam-bennett-made-sure-to-visit-his-grandma-on-special-day-with-stanley-cup] Panthers Top Front Office Confidence Rankings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-top-front-office-confidence-rankings] Photo caption: Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) controls the puck against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period in game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
