Panthers Face Early Setback as Tkachuk’s Season Start in Jeopardy – What This Means for the Team’s Championship Hopes

When a cornerstone like Matthew Tkachuk is sidelined before the puck even drops this season, you can bet it sends ripples through the Florida Panthers and their fanbase. Earlier this month, the 27-year-old winger opted for surgery, a move that ensures he won’t lace up for the start of the 2025-26 campaign. It wasn’t a snap decision, either — Tkachuk himself had been weighing the pros and cons of a procedure, aware he might be off the ice for two or three months. For context, this isn’t just routine rehab; the Panthers star has been battling a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia, injuries he carried since suiting up for Team USA in that intense 4 Nations Face-Off back in February. Despite missing 25 regular-season games, he made a triumphant return just in time for the playoffs, where his 23 points across 23 games—including a clutch seven-point surge in the Stanley Cup Final—were nothing short of spectacular, helping to seal Florida’s back-to-back championship glory. With his Olympic spot already pinned down for Italy 2026, this hiatus stings—but it also opens a door for the Panthers to manage their salary cap situation more cleverly as they head into training camp. The ripple effect of Tkachuk’s downtime will be felt far beyond the ice, and we’re just starting to untangle what that means. LEARN MORE

Florida Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk underwent surgery this month and is expected to miss the start of the regular season, an NHL source told ESPN, confirming a report.

Tkachuk, 27, said earlier this month that he expected to miss “the first two or maybe three months” of the 2025-26 regular season if he decided to undergo a procedure, a decision he was still debating at the time.

The winger revealed after last season that he sustained a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia injury while playing for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. He missed the final 25 games of the NHL regular season but returned for Game 1 of the Panthers’ first-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tkachuk had 23 points (8 goals, 15 assists) in 23 games during the playoffs, including seven points in the Final against Edmonton, to lead the Panthers to their second straight Stanley Cup championship.

In June, USA Hockey made Tkachuk one of the first six members of the U.S. men’s team scheduled to play at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Tkachuk was the only member of the 4 Nations roster who wasn’t scheduled to attend U.S. men’s Olympic orientation camp in Michigan this week.

Tkachuk is entering his 10th NHL season and his fourth with the Panthers. He had 57 points (22 goals and 35 assists) in 52 games last season. His contract carries a salary cap hit of $9.5 million. If Tkachuk is placed on long-term injured reserve, it would give Florida much-needed cap relief. PuckPedia has the Panthers $4.5 million over the cap ahead of next month’s training camp.

NHL Network first reported news of Tkachuk’s surgery.