Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk will miss the remainder of the regular season with a groin injury he sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“Matthew is going to be out for an extended period of time,” Panthers GM Bill Zito told reporters Monday. “We hope to get him back for the playoffs.”
The Panthers placed Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), meaning they can save space under the NHL salary cap. A player on LTIR is required to miss at least 10 games and 24 days.
Florida reportedly now has $8.7 million in cap space, and NHL teams don’t need to be cap compliant during the playoffs.
So Tkachuk, whose contract carries an average annual value of $9.5 million, can be added back into the fold for the postseason even if the Panthers add significant money before Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
Florida already made a splash by acquiring defenseman Seth Jones from the Blackhawks on Saturday.
Tkachuk was injured playing for Team USA against Canada on Feb. 15.
He sat out the final 12:36 of the game that the U.S went on to win before missing the United States’ next game against Sweden two days later.
He then started in the rematch against Canada in the championship game, but was limited to less than seven minutes of time on the ice. Tkachuk has not played since.
Tkachuk, who helped lead the Panthers to their first Stanley Cup win last year, finishes his regular season having tallied 22 goals and 57 points, each good for second on the team behind only center Sam Reinhart.
The Panthers sit rather firmly in the NHL playoff picture in second place in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division — just a point behind the first-place Maple Leafs and nine points above the top Wild Card spot.
Florida plays the Tampa Bay Lightning Monday night in what will mark Tkachuk’s fifth straight absence.
The Lightning sit three points behind the Panthers in the Atlantic Division.
With Tkachuk on LTIR, the Panthers recalled backup goalie Chris Driedger from AHL Charlotte.
