Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Undecided on Surgery for Injuries, Would Miss 2-3 Months

Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk has not yet decided if he will undergo offseason surgery that would sideline him for at least the first two months of the 2025-26 season, he told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski on Friday.

"If I do get the surgery, it'll definitely be the first two or maybe three months if that's the case. But it's still undecided at this point," Tkachuk said Friday, per Wyshynski.

Tkachuk revealed in June, after the Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, that he had been playing despite suffering a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia on the same side of his body.

Tkachuk's injury was originally identified as a "lower-body" issue when he was first sidelined while playing for Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

The Panthers forward returned to practice in full capacity on April 19, just three days before his team opened the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tkachuk was back on the ice for Game 1, during which he scored two goals in just under 12 minutes on the ice.

He ultimately tied with Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe for the team lead in postseason production with 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) despite playing through his injuries for 23 playoff games.

"I wanted to throw in the towel a bunch of times... I really didn't think I would be playing, or at least playing to my capabilities, so the longer the playoffs went the better I felt," Tkachuk said after the Panthers clinched the championship on June 17.

The Panthers re-signed Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand this offseason as part of an effort to keep together the majority of the core that has led the team to two straight championships.

Especially given that strong core and the short offseason, the Panthers will likely be focused on Tkachuk's long-term health rather than rushing him back to the ice. Having him healthy next spring will likely be more important to winning a third straight championship than getting him back in time for opening night in October.