The Florida Panthers will be missing a key piece in their forwards group early in the season, according to general manager Bill Zito.
Zito told team reporter Jameson Olive that Matthew Tkachuk is expected to be out until roughly December with a lower-body injury. Zito also told reporters that forward Tomas Nosek is dealing with an injury suffered during the off-season and will be “out for a while.”
Tkachuk (lower body) is out until roughly December, per Zito,
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) September 17, 2025
“Don’t hold me to that,” he said. “My internet medical degree.”
Tkachuk revealed at the end of last season that he suffered significant injuries during the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. According to reports, Tkachuk had surgery to address the issues in August.
The 27-year-old told reporters that he suffered a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia during the tournament. He missed the remaining 25 games of the season after the tournament but returned for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Tkachuk scored eight goals and totaled 23 points in 23 games to help lead the Panthers to their second consecutive Stanley Cup title over the Edmonton Oilers.
The Panthers were surprisingly able to keep a majority of the championship-winning roster together in Florida in the off-season, re-signing impactful players in Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad despite the high expected price tag associated with each.
Florida begins its quest to become the first three-time defending Stanley Cup champion since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1979-83.
