Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk turned in one of the most clutch performances in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He scored big goals time and time again to lead his team to the Stanley Cup Final. Unfortunately, the Final didn't go as he or the Panthers thought. Tkachuk fractured his sternum in Game 3 which ended up having a major impact on his play the rest of the series.

Training camps around the NHL are set to begin soon. And there are concerns over whether Tkachuk is able to participate fully during camp. On Tuesday, the 25-year-old Panthers star addressed his health and how he's feeling.

“I am feeling great,” Tkachuk said, via NHL.com. “It's been a very short summer, the way I want it to be every year going forward. The worst timing for the injury, obviously, Stanley Cup Final, but in a weird way I had time after where I wasn't missing X amount of months of game action, so I had the summer to get ready.”

While the timing of the injury certainly wasn't ideal, Tkachuk found a silver lining. “I definitely improved on some things. The injury allowed me to work on some parts of fitness and conditioning and that is in the best form right now possible, and I just improved on some strength, which was my goal,” the Panthers star said.

Tkachuk is not the only player who emerged from the Stanley Cup Final banged up. Panthers stars Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour also suffered extensive injuries during the series. Tkachuk mentioned to NHL.com that the two defensemen may not return until Christmas.

Tkachuk and the Panthers hit the road on October 12 to face the Minnesota Wild to begin the season. Florida won't return to FLA Live Arena until October 19. On that day, they face the Toronto Maple Leafs in their home opener.