After playing through injuries to lead the Florida Panthers to their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship and undergoing offseason surgery, star forward Matthew Tkachuk will make his season debut Monday night when the Panthers host the San Jose Sharks in Sunrise, Fla.

Tkachuk missed the final 25 games of the 2024-25 regular season after sustaining a torn adductor and sports hernia while competing for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off last February. Still, he managed to play in all 23 of the Panthers’ playoff games, tallying 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists), before undergoing surgery in August.

“I’m feeling great,” Tkachuk told reporters after participating in Monday’s morning skate. “Just so excited to be back. It was a little over five months since the surgery, so just chomping at the bit to come back, really. And, yeah, happy that the day is finally here.

“I wasn’t coming back until I was feeling 100%. I came back not 100% one time, and that (was) a playoff thing, so I’m happy with the whole recovery process.”

Tkachuk, 28, missed the first 47 games of the season for the Panthers (25-19-3), who sit four points out of a playoff spot with 35 regular-season games left. The timing of his return also works out well to potentially get into form in time to join the U.S. Olympic team in Milan for next month’s games, the first in which NHL players will participate since 2014.

Tkachuk, who was traded from Calgary to Florida ahead of the 2023 season, has 254 points (88 goals, 166 assists) in 211 regular-season games with the Panthers. He has 636 career points (240 goals, 396 assists) in 642 career regular-season games across seven seasons.

The Panthers could also get another standout forward in Brad Marchand back for Monday’s game, according to coach Paul Maurice. Marchand has missed the last five games with an undisclosed injury.

–Field Level Media