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Matthew Tkachuk has been out since the Four Nations Face-Off, and now it appears his return for the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup playoffs could be in jeopardy.
The Florida Panthers have been struggling as of late with their injuries and suspensions, but ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they're expected to get back to 100%.
Aaron Ekblad will return in the first series, and the team is hoping that Matthew Tkachuk will be back for that first series as well, but for now, the latest update is that he is "still a ways away."
That's not a good sign for Tkachuk, with head coach Paul Maurice noting that the starting date of the Stanley Cup playoffs could have an impact on Tkachuk's potential return. However, No. 19 has fought hard through plenty of injuries before.
The Panthers are also without Sam Bennett, who will be out for the remainder of the regular season, but if they can get healthy, this is still arguably the best team in the NHL.
As of a week ago, Tkachuk has been skating before practice, which means there has certainly been progress, but it's not gauranteed that he'll be back for Game 1.
If the Panthers go into a series with the Tampa Bay Lightning or Toronto Maple Leafs at less than 100%, it's certainly going to be a tough battle. But if they can get there by the second or third game, this remains a team that could be competing for the Cup once again in 2025.
More must-reads:
- Watch: Brad Marchand scores first goal as a Panther in win over Red Wings
- Why Maple Leafs fans shouldn’t be scared of a potential playoff matchup vs. the Panthers
- The 'NHL All-Star Game MVPs' quiz
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Oilers Head Coach Names Team’s Biggest Flaws Amid Slow Start to NHL Season
Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch spoke to the media before Monday’s game against the St. Louis Blues. He discussed the team’s start and areas that need improvement. “The highlight for us has been our special teams, which have been very solid,” Knoblauch said. “As long as we get good goaltending and strong special teams, our five-on-five play should come around.” The Oilers are 6-4-3 this season and are averaging 3.15 goals per game, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the offense. McDavid leads the team with 17 points, and Draisaitl has 9 goals. Their power play ranks first in the league at 33.3%. However, the team’s defense has been inconsistent and has allowed goals late in games. Knoblauch said the team must defend harder and named the flaws they have been facing. "We’ve talked a lot about playing faster and more predictably, and I think we’ve been doing that," Knoblauch said. "However, we can defend a bit harder by closing on loose pucks quicker and getting above our checks. Early on, we played well in those areas, but over the last couple of games, we’ve taken a small step back." In their 3-2 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks, McDavid said the team played a little bit cleaner but still needed improvement. "Maybe a little bit, just a touch, but still some things to clean up," McDavid said about the Oilers' play. Draisaitl scored in the second period, and Jack Roslovic gave them a 2-1 lead. It was Evan Bouchard who netted the overtime winner. The Oilers have also defeated the Utah Mammoth 6-3, but lost to the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, and Seattle Kraken over the last five games. Knoblauch said the team needs more consistency. “You always have success when your best players are your best players,” Knoblauch said after their loss to the Rangers. “You need your depth and other guys stepping up, ... Some guys can be better — top or bottom — but collectively we’re disappointed. We feel like we take a step forward, then two steps back.” The Oilers are on a two-game road trip, playing the Blues on Monday and the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
Cowboys Announce Major Roster News Before Cardinals Game
All eyes are on the Dallas Cowboys, set to play the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9 of the NFL season. As the Cowboys prepare for a matchup against the Cardinals on "Monday Night Football," Dallas announced some big news regarding the roster. On Monday, the Cowboys announced that they have activated center Cooper Beebe. Beebe entered the season as the starting center, serving as an anchor for the Cowboy's offense and quarterback Dak Prescott's right-hand man. He returned from injured reserve as is designated to return to the Dallas Cowboys after suffering an ankle and foot injury early in the season. Cooper BeeBe has been with then Dallas Cowboys since 2024. He was selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft and has since emerged as one of the Cowboy's top players. Beebe played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats from 2019 to 2023. He was a First-Team All-American in 2022 and a unanimous All-American in 2023 for the Wildcats. The Cowboys' center was also a Three-Time First-Team All-Big 12 player during his college days at Kansas State. Dak Prescott will now have his starting center back, who should give the Dallas Cowboys more security on the offensive line. The Cowboys have already proven to have one of the best offenses in the NFL and it just got better. Several other stars who have flourished this season include George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb and Javonte Williams. Pickens and Williams are playing in their first season with the Cowboys. Athlon Sports may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over our coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. It is your sole responsibility to act in accordance with your local laws. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice. Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling.
Seahawks GM's comments offer clue at potential NFL trade deadline partners
If there was any question about whether the Seattle Seahawks should be buyers or sellers going into the NFL trade deadline, last night's crushing victory over the Washington Commanders answered it. After eight games played, Seattle has a top-five scoring offense, a top-five scoring defense and a special teams unit that's making high-impact plays routine. That gives the Seahawks all the reason in the world to be aggressive at the trade deadline, and the latest reporting suggests that's exactly what they're going to do. General manager John Schneider may have offered a hint in his pre-game radio hit with KIRO, saying that the Seahawks spoke with teams at the Maryland-Indiana game on Saturday. That give us an idea of who they might be dealing with, based on the reports of the other teams who sent personnel to that game. That includes the San Francisco 49ers, the New York Jets, the Carolina Panthers, the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Commanders, who may have had some extra face time with the Seahawks during last night's game. We can safely cross the 49ers off the list of potential trade partners, but we can't do that with any others. The one question mark is the Panthers - and nobody seems to know which way they're leaning. Carolina is a surprise 5-4 after shocking the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, but the gap between the Panthers and the NFC teams currently on pace for a playoff spot is pretty massive. That makes the Jets, Browns and Commanders the most likely candidates to make a deal with the Seahawks from this list but we also have to assume they're talking with other teams. Pete Carroll's Raiders are another obvious potential trade partner based on their relationship and the fact that they're 2-6 going into the deadline. The Seahawks have also had a long history of making deals with the Philadelphia Eagles, who need cornerback help an have reportedly been considering a deal for Riq Woolen. On that note, the math may have changed last night due to the injuy to Josh Jobe, who was ruled out early with a concussion. Woolen responded with his best game of the season - which might be just enough to convince the Seahawks to keep him around for the playoffs.
Jerry Jones reveals Cowboys made surprise trade ahead of MNF vs. Cardinals
During an appearance on SiriusXM, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed Dallas made a trade Monday. However, Jones reportedly refused to reveal who the Cowboys had acquired. “Cowboys owner Jerry Jones @SIRIUSXM just said Dallas has made a trade and could possibly make a couple of more before tomorrow’s deadline,” The Athletic‘s Jon Machota wrote on X. “He declined to share who is involved in the trade. Jones: ‘Immediately it will have him on the field and it will address some of the things that have been our shortcomings.'” The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. With a 3-4-1 record, the Cowboys are a middling NFL team this season thus far. Perhaps a trade could help the Cowboys hit their stride as they head into the back half of the season. Nonetheless, many Cowboys fans expressed their anxieties online about Jones’ comments. In fairness, Jones left fans shell-shocked earlier this fall when he traded star EDGE Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, in exchange for two first-round picks and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark. “We have two kinds of capital or currency in the NFL,” Jerry Jones said at the time. “One of them is draft picks. The other is the financial because every team is limited to the same amount of resources to spend, and having said that, Micah enabled us to have four, possibly as many as six players, for the future. That’s a good trade when you need numbers. I’ll take the numbers every time.” As of this report, it’s not only unclear who the Cowboys traded for, but what they gave up in the deal. The team needs defensive assets. The Cowboys are allowing 404.6 yards per game, the second-most in the NFL, only better than the Cincinnati Bengals. While the Arizona Cardinals are entering Monday’s contest on a five-game losing streak, Dallas shouldn’t overlook the matchup. The Cardinals have lost their last five games by a combined 13 points. Moreover, the Cardinals held fourth-quarter leads in all five games. If Dallas isn’t prepared on Monday, Arizona will be ready to pounce on the opportunity. The Cowboys and Cardinals will square off at 7:15 p.m. CT on Monday. The game will air live on ABC and ESPN. Dallas fans will keep their ears peeled for any mention of a new name on their team’s roster.
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