Florida Panthers left winger Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates with center Aleksander Barkov (16) and center Carter Verhaeghe (23). Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Insider drops worst possible update on Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk

Originally posted on Hockey Patrol | By Chris Gerics | Last updated Feb 23, 2025 5:28 PM ET

NHL Insider Renaud Lavoie revealed that Matthew Tkachuk's injury could be a season-ender in a stunning turn of events for the Florida Panthers forward.

With the 4 Nations Face-Off in the rearview mirror, players are focused on getting back to the regular season grind. But with the 4 Nations came injuries, and while there were a few that kept some players out, one injury that people had their eyes on was that of Tkachuk.

Seemingly a non-issue, Tkachuk ended up missing the Sweden game and only played a few minutes of the championship game against Canada.

It's a stunning turn of events for both Tkachuk and the Panthers and it puts their playoff hopes in danger if he's out for the season and, potentially, the playoffs.

With the Panthers losing to the Kraken on Saturday and Toronto beating Carolina, Toronto is only one point behind Florida with games in hand.

Tkachuk initially injured himself the first time against Canada in the round-robin and it didn't initially look too serious, however post-tournament his brother Brady didn't give much of a positive outlook.

If he ends up missing the rest of the regular season and playoffs, it makes Florida's job that much more difficult, as he was not only an important part offensively but a huge part of the Panthers' identity.

Known as a gritty and tough as nails forward, Tkachuk has been able to power through injuries before but this latest one seems to be the straw that broke his proverbial back.

Given that there's still a few weeks left in the season and the advancements in sports medicine could see Tkachuk returning for the playoffs, but it remains to be seen what position Florida is going to be in without him.

This season, Tkachuk has 22 goals and 35 assists in 52 games while adding 84 hits and 56 PIM in 18:14 of TOI.

This article first appeared on Hockey Patrol and was syndicated with permission.

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