Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk has disclosed that he may face surgery during the offseason due to a severe injury sustained during the Stanley Cup run. Playing with a torn adductor muscle, which was detached from the bone near his groin, Tkachuk’s condition raises questions about his recovery timeline and readiness for the upcoming season.
NHL insider David Dwork shared that Tkachuk described his chances of needing surgery as about 50-50. Additional medical tests are scheduled over the next few weeks to determine the best course of action, and Tkachuk remains uncertain how long his rehabilitation might take.
“It’s not going to be a normal summer for me,”
Tkachuk said.
“But it’s going to be the best summer yet.”
Despite the painful injury, Tkachuk managed an impressive 23 points across 23 playoff games, making significant offensive contributions and proving defensively reliable. Notably, he logged over 22 minutes of ice time in several critical matchups. In Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, he scored a goal during Florida’s 5-1 victory, which secured the team’s championship title.
Following his second Stanley Cup triumph, Tkachuk opened up about the physical and mental challenges of competing while injured.
“I tore my adductor off the bone and then had some hernia thing all on the same side,”
he told The Hockey News.
“I wanted to throw in the towel a bunch of times. I gotta thank a bunch of people for getting me healthy enough. I’m sure I wasn’t the easiest to deal with.”
“My fiancee did a great job on days when I probably wasn’t in the best mood coming to the rink. My trainers, … I just owe them so much.”
Tkachuk had missed several games after the 4 Nations tournament due to this injury. His availability at the start of next season remains uncertain, but he intends to focus on rest and recovery before deciding whether surgery is necessary.
Insights on Tkachuk’s Struggles Playing Through Injury During Playoffs
In the week following the Stanley Cup Final, Matthew Tkachuk revealed the difficulty of whether he could participate in the playoffs at all. He had been sidelined since February with a lower-body injury and only learned a day before Game 1 that he might rejoin the Florida Panthers’ lineup.
Tkachuk expressed pride in his resilience despite feeling far from his usual form.
“The first round was definitely the worst I felt, by far,”
he admitted.
“So I knew that even at nowhere close to what I expect out of myself, I knew I needed to help out as best I can if we were going to get by them.”
He extended his gratitude to the team doctors and trainers, acknowledging their crucial role in managing his condition through the playoffs. Tkachuk was relieved that his body was able to sustain the demands of high-level competition during such a grueling postseason.
As one of the Panthers’ key players, Matthew Tkachuk’s offseason injury and potential surgery will be closely monitored by fans and team officials alike. His recovery progress will likely have a significant impact on Florida’s prospects for the next NHL season, making upcoming medical evaluations and treatment decisions vital for his return to form.