Matthew Tkachuk: we don’t know if he will be able to play again this season

A few years ago, the Panthers traded Jonathan Huberdeau in order to get Matthew Tkachuk.

Such a personnel move was made to change the dynamics of the Panthers. General Manager Bill Zito wanted to add some grit to his lineup to win the Stanley Cup.

It clearly worked in 2024.

That’s #StanleyCup champion Matthew Tkachuk to you. pic.twitter.com/cF9BC4xiRs

— NHL (@NHL) June 25, 2024

Having a Tkachuk comes with its highs and lows. The highs are the impact he has on a team. It shows in the playoffs and everyone was able to see it during the Four Nations Tournament. #Battle

But it also comes with lows.

He is so intense and he wanted to win so much for his country that he played in the final even though he was injured. It was selfish since he took the place of a player who could have helped the American team more adequately.

But also, it did not help his physical health case.

Yesterday, Tkachuk was not playing for the Florida Panthers. And what we learn is that it’s possible he won’t be able to play at all this season due to his lower-body injury. #Leg

Renaud Lavoie, who discussed the subject yesterday during the Canadiens game on TVA Sports, said there was a chance that Matthew Tkachuk’s season could be over. The Florida team is waiting for medical results.

Will Matthew Tkachuk miss the rest of the season? @renlavoietva pic.twitter.com/jIN06tcrlP

— TVA Sports (@TVASports) February 23, 2025

If Tkachuk can’t play anymore (we’ll see when the Panthers give an update on this) this season, it will be a huge loss for the Florida Panthers.

It could completely change the league’s landscape in the coming months.

extension

Several NHL executives must have had nightmares just thinking about such a scenario. Will it encourage some NHL teams to refuse to let their players participate in international events? Who knows.

Let’s recall that in 2014, the Islanders didn’t like seeing John Tavares get injured at the Olympics. There are often cases like that.