FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Matthew Tkachuk will be sidelined for a significant time, according to Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito.
“We hope to have him back for the playoffs,” Zito shared.
Tkachuk got hurt while representing the U.S. at the 4 Nations Face-Off last month. He missed the final part of a game against Canada on February 15 and didn’t play in the match against Sweden on February 17. Although he started in the championship game on February 20, he only played for about 7 minutes and didn’t return for the third period or overtime in a close loss to Canada. Since then, he hasn’t been able to skate.
This season, Tkachuk has scored 57 points from 22 goals and 35 assists in 52 games. The Panthers, last year’s Stanley Cup champions, are currently second in the Atlantic Division, trailing the Toronto Maple Leafs by just one point. Tkachuk will be out for his fifth consecutive game when Florida takes on the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight.
To manage his absence, Tkachuk has been placed on long-term injured reserve. This move helps the team stay under the NHL salary cap. NHL rules state that a player on LTIR must miss at least 10 games and 24 days.
“We’re still assessing his injury and how rehab is going,” Zito explained. “There is a plan in place, but we don’t yet know the details.”
In the meantime, the Panthers made a significant trade, acquiring defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks. Jones is expected to play his first game for Florida tonight. He had a solid performance this season, with 27 points from 7 goals and 20 assists in 42 games while logging an impressive average of 24:30 minutes of ice time per game.
“I’m excited to be here,” Jones said. “I wanted to join a contending team, and Florida was my top choice. I aim to fit into the system and contribute whatever I can.” He practiced with Niko Mikkola on the second defense pair and was also taking charge of the second power-play unit.
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