Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Wins Cup, reveals serious injury
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Tkachuk (groin) scored a goal in Tuesday's 5-1 Stanley Cup-clinching win over the Oilers.
Remarkably, after the game, Tkachuk revealed that he had been playing with a torn adductor muscle that is right off the bone. While he finished the playoffs with an incredible 23 points in as many games, Tkachuk will likely head under the knife quickly to repair this injury. He might not be ready to start next season.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Draws assist in Game 5
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Tkachuk registered an assist and three hits in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Oilers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Tkachuk has five points, nine shots on net and a plus-2 rating over his last three games. He set up a Sam Bennett tally late in the first period that gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead. Tkachuk is up to 22 points (seven goals, 15 helpers), 39 shots on net, 45 hits, 33 PIM and a plus-6 rating over 22 playoff outings. He's had just one multi-game slump all postseason, providing steady offense in a second-line role.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Three points in overtime loss
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Tkachuk scored two power-play goals and added an assist in Thursday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Oilers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Tkachuk had his best performance since the playoff opener versus the Lightning, but it wasn't enough. The 27-year-old has three goals and four assists over his last five contests. Overall, he's produced seven goals, 21 points (11 on the power play), 38 shots on net, 42 hits, 33 PIM and a plus-6 rating across 21 playoff appearances.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Records helper in loss
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Tkachuk notched an assist, three shots on goal and two hits in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Oilers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Tkachuk picked up the secondary helper on the first of Sam Bennett's two goals in the contest. The 27-year-old Tkachuk has picked up the pace lately, earning two goals and six assists over six games since the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. He's at five goals, 12 helpers, 30 shots on net, 40 hits, 10 blocked shots, 29 PIM and a plus-4 rating over 18 playoff outings.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Earns pair of points
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Tkachuk scored a power-play goal, dished an assist and blocked two shots in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Hurricanes in Game 5.
Tkachuk's pair of points came 30 seconds apart in the middle frame, as he helped the Panthers erase an early 2-0 deficit. He finished the Eastern Conference Finals with two goals and five assists over five contests versus Carolina. He's now at five goals, 11 helpers, 27 shots on net, 38 hits, 29 PIM and a plus-4 rating over 17 appearances this postseason.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Dishes two helpers in win
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Tkachuk registered two assists, five shots on goal, five hits, 12 PIM and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Hurricanes in Game 3.
Tkachuk had a hand in the Panthers' five-goal third period, setting up tallies by Niko Mikkola and Aleksander Barkov during the rally. Tkachuk has looked at his best in the Eastern Conference Finals, earning a goal and four assists over his last three games. He has a total of four goals, 10 helpers, 24 shots on net, 36 hits, 27 PIM and a plus-5 rating through 15 playoff games.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Two-point game in win
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Tkachuk had a goal and an assist in a 5-0 win in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday.
His goal was a nice tap-in at the left post to put Florida up 2-0 in the first period. But it was his antagonism of Andrei Svechnikov later in the same frame that led to a penalty and power-play goal that drove the score to 3-0. Tkachuk isn't even the more talented brother, but his ability to agitate and chirp is epic, and he drives opponents over the edge. And his offense really is sweet. Tkachuk sits in a tie with Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand for second in team scoring these playoffs (12 points; four goals, eight assists).
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Manages power-play assist
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Tkachuk logged a power-play assist and two hits in Sunday's 2-0 win over the Maple Leafs in Game 4.
Tkachuk's ice time has bounced back in the second round. His 17:30 in Sunday's contest was his lowest total in four games versus Toronto after he peaked at 16:32 over five games in the first round versus the Lightning. The winger has gone six outings without a goal but has four assists, including three on the power play, in that span. He's at eight points (six on the power play), 12 shots on net, 12 hits, 13 PIM and a plus-1 rating over nine playoff outings. Tkachuk may not be at 100 percent after a long-term groin injury, but he appears to be improving and should be a steady source of physicality throughout the playoffs.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Snags helper in win
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Tkachuk recorded a power-play assist and two shots on goal in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Lightning in Game 5.
Tkachuk has averaged just 13:41 of ice time over five playoff contests. While his minutes are being managed coming off a long-term groin injury, he's been productive with five points, eight shots on net, three hits, 11 PIM and a plus-1 rating. He's still seeing a hearty amount of power-play time (3:38 per game), which is where he's earned four of his five points this postseason.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Third goal of postseason
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Tkachuk scored a goal Saturday in a 5-1 loss to the Lightning in Game 3.
Tkachuk opened the scoring at 2:43 of the first period with his third goal of the series. It came after a turnover in the Tampa Bay zone. Tkachuk earned his 20th playoff goal with Florida, putting him third on the franchise list behind Carter Verhaeghe (26) and Sam Reinhart (22), per George Richards of NHL.com.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Three points in return
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Tkachuk scored two goals on three shots, dished an assist and added two PIM in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Lightning in Game 1.
Tkachuk's three points all came on the power play. He missed 25 games due to a groin injury sustained at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and he may not have been 100 percent Tuesday either after playing just 11:43 in Game 1. Still, a little bit went a long way this time, and he should be a major force on offense as long as he avoids aggravating the injury.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Activated from LTIR
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Tkachuk (groin) was activated from long-term injured reserve Tuesday, per the NHL media site.
Following a 25-game absence, Tkachuk appears ready to return to the lineup in Game 1 versus Tampa Bay on Tuesday. He will likely skate on the second line and see time on the top power-play unit. Tkachuk compiled 22 goals, 57 points, 156 shots on net and 84 hits across 52 appearances during the 2024-25 regular season.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Game-time call for Game 1
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Tkachuk (groin) will be a game-time decision Tuesday against the Lightning in Game 1, according to Panthers TV Rinkside Reporter Katie Engleson.
Head coach Paul Maurice relayed that Tkachuk, who skated on the second line during Tuesday's morning skate, will continue to be evaluated by the team's doctors leading up to puck drop. The 27-year-old Tkachuk last suited up with the Panthers on Feb. 8, though his groin injury occurred at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He will need to be activated off long-term injured reserve if he ends up being available for Game 1. Tkachuk supplied 22 goals and 57 points over 52 regular-season appearances in 2024-25, which marks the fourth straight campaign that he's produced over a point-per-game.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Trending in right direction
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Head coach Paul Maurice said Thursday that Tkachuk (groin) will skate on off days ahead of the playoffs, and the 27-year-old could be available for Game 1 of Florida's first-round series, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.
Tkachuk sustained an injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off and has been sidelined since then. The Panthers announced in early March that the 27-year-old would miss the remainder of the regular season, but he's slated to be evaluated in the days leading up to the team's first-round playoff series. Tkachuk will likely be a game-time decision for Game 1, but even if he isn't cleared for that matchup, it wouldn't be surprising to see him suit up later in the series.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Traveling with team
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Tkachuk (groin) will be with the Panthers for their upcoming four-game road trip but is still targeting a postseason return, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports Monday.
According to head coach Paul Maurice, the playoff schedule could result in Tkachuk missing some postseason action as well. It's something that fantasy managers will have to take into consideration when working on their postseason pools. Prior to getting hurt at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Tkachuk was rolling offensively with seven goals and six assists in his last six appearances.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Regular season over
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Tkachuk (groin) won't be an option for Florida until the postseason after general manager Bill Zito told reporters Monday, "Matthew's going to be out for an extended period of time. We hope to get him back for the playoffs," per Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site.
Tkachuk was already designated for long-term injured reserve, but this update further cements the fact that the winger won't be seeing any more regular-season action. It will be the first time the 27-year-old Arizona native will miss the 60-point threshold since the 2020-21 campaign. Don't be surprised to see the Panthers take advantage of the $9.5 million in LTIR cap relief ahead of Friday's trade deadline.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Shifts to LTIR
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Tkachuk (groin) was placed on long-term injured reserve Sunday, per PuckPedia.
Tkachuk has missed the last four games after being injured during the 4 Nations Face-Off. It remains unclear when he will be available to return to the lineup, though he will be out for at least 10 games and 24 days after going on LTIR. Tkachuk has generated 22 goals, 57 points, 156 shots on net, 84 hits and 54 PIM through 52 appearances this season. Due to Tkachuk's absence, Evan Rodrigues and Mackie Samoskevich have been occupying top-six roles. The Panthers recalled Chris Driedger from AHL Charlotte in a corresponding move to occupy the backup role behind Sergei Bobrovsky after trading Spencer Knight to Chicago on Saturday for Seth Jones.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Not playing Thursday
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Tkachuk (groin) has been ruled out of Thursday's contest against the Oilers, Colby Guy of The Palm Beach Post reports.
There was no update in Tkachuk's status, though head coach Paul Maurice did state that his star 27-year-old winger was out "near-term" rather than long-term. Tkachuk had been white-hot before the 4 Nations Face-Off break with eight goals and eight assists across eight games. Overall, he has 22 goals, 35 assists, 23 power-play points, 156 shots on goal and 84 hits across 52 appearances this season.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Ruled out Tuesday
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Tkachuk (groin) continues to be evaluated but won't face the Predators on Tuesday after head coach Paul Maurice told reporters, "He saw some people over the weekend. Going to wait a few more days, get a couple more looks...we don't want to be giving out reports every second day that aren't confirmed. So we'll wait on that for a few more days," per Katie Engleson of Scripps Sports.
The fact that Tkachuk is seeing multiple doctors regarding his groin injury doesn't bode well for a quick return to the lineup. Still, until the Panthers provide a clear update on his timeline, fantasy players will have to take a wait-and-see approach. Prior to his absence, the 27-year-old winger was rolling with 16 points in his last eight outings, including three goals and two assists with the man advantage.
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Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk: Likely to miss time
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Tkachuk -- who is reportedly dealing with a groin problem -- is expected to be sidelined long term but will suit up again this year, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Monday.
While the Panthers haven't offered a specific timeline, fantasy managers probably shouldn't expect Tkachuk back on the ice until sometime in March. Given that prognosis, it seems almost certain the 27-year-old winger will be designated for injured reserve. If the Scottsdale native is out until the postseason, it could free up significant cap space for Florida ahead of the trade deadline as well, if the team elects to put him on long-term injured reserve.
