Florida Panthers Matthew Tkachuk remains undecided on surgery.
After sustaining an injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off, it was later revealed that Tkachuk had a torn adductor.
Tkachuk’s play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs did not take a big hit (8 goals, 23 points), but it was clear that he was battling something more than the usual wear-and-tear of a deep postseason run.
According to NHL Insider Frank Seravalli, Tkachuk could be away from game action for 3-5 months, assuming he gets the surgery.
While that is not the news Panthers fans might have been hoping for, Tkachuk’s delayed surgery is not as complicated as it looks.
For one, Florida does not need him during the regular season. It retained all of its key free agents (Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand) this offseason and does not seem to care about its standing heading into the playoffs.
Secondly, the NHL can not crack down on long-term injury reserve manipulation until the 2026-27 season, when the new CBA takes effect.
The Panthers — and others — will likely prolong their injured players’ return to action to free up cap space for marquee trade deadline acquisitions. Just this past season, Florida used the Tkachuk money to land Marchand, who played an integral role in its second consecutive Stanley Cup victory.
The rich getting richer, especially through a loophole, is sure to incite outrage among the rest of the league, which is growing tired of the Panthers’ dominance.
For Tkachuk, expect him to take as much time as possible before setting his sights on the three-peat.
