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The Florida Panthers have been the most dominant team in the NHL for the past few seasons, and they're looking to keep it rolling when it's time to get back on the ice for 2025-26. For now, they're enjoying the offseason, while some players are also healing up from injuries. Matthew Tkachuk is one of those players who was dealing with an abductor injury during the playoffs.
It's not certain when Tkachuk could return back on the ice, but Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman shared a prediction on how much of the campaign he could miss.
“I think we're going to find out at some point here that Tkachuk will miss the start of the season,” Friedman said on the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast. “I think he'll be back in time for the Olympics… But I think he's going to miss the start of the year and a chunk of time after that.”
Tkachuk dealt with a torn abductor muscle throughout the postseason, and it's clear that he hasn't recovered from that injury despite being healthy enough to play in the Stanley Cup Final.
Between the grueling regular season and suiting up for the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off, Tkachuk has played a ton of hockey in the last year. It's best for Tkachuk to rest up during the offseason and give himself time to come back as healthy as he can.
The Panthers have the talent on the team to win games without him in the regular season, and even if he can get back in the middle of the campaign, that would be ideal for the squad. For a team that has won a lot over the past few years, they know when it's time to lock in during the season, and the second half of the year will be critical.
For now, Tkachuk will do his best to stay out of the spotlight and focus on recovery.
