Matthew Tkachuk will be back in a Panthers uniform this season, despite concerns over his recent injury. That’s the word from head coach Paul Maurice, who shared the good news Monday on the “Joe Rose Show.”
“He’s playing for us this year,” Maurice confirmed, though he admitted the recovery might take a bit longer than initially hoped.
The star winger missed Saturday’s tight 2-1 loss to Seattle with what’s being reported as a groin injury. He picked up the knock while representing Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Florida. They’re in a fierce battle for playoff positioning in the Atlantic Division, having just been overtaken by Toronto for the top spot. They’re now sitting one point behind the Maple Leafs with an extra game played.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are breathing down their necks too.
Without Tkachuk in the lineup, the Panthers’ grip on home-ice advantage is looking shakier. Analytics site MoneyPuck gives them a 20% chance of dropping to third place, and a 6% shot at falling into a wild-card spot.
The team’s actually done pretty well without him before – they’re 6-4-1 in games he’s missed since his blockbuster arrival from Calgary in 2022.
While Tkachuk hasn’t quite matched last year’s incredible 40-goal, 109-point explosion, he’s still been a force. He’s putting up 1.10 points per game and sits second on the team with 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 52 games.
Rookie Mackie Samoskevich is getting a golden opportunity with Tkachuk sidelined. The kid jumped right onto the second line with Sam Bennett against Seattle, logging a season-high 17:23 of ice time.
The 2021 first-round pick has shown promise in his first full NHL season, putting up 17 points despite battling through some injuries and illness.
Florida’s still expected to be shopping for defensive help before the trade deadline. They’ve felt the loss of several key blue-liners from last summer, with their goals-against average jumping up nearly half a goal per game from last season’s league-best showing.
But at least they know their star winger will be back in time for what they hope will be a long playoff run.
