Mathew Tkachuk is Coming into His Prime at 25
Tkachuk scored 40 goals for the second straight season, his first Cup appearance
When Mathew Tkachuk was sent to the Florida Panthers from the Calgary Flames after putting up 42 goals in 2021-2022, many thought there was no way Matthew Tkachuk’s stats could match his last year north of the border, considering he never came close to the 40-goal mark in his career before his swan song season under Daryll Suter in Calgary.
Tkachuk took the heat after a second-round, five-game loss, to the Edmonton Oilers in 2022 and was shipped to the Florida Panthers in the offseason. There is no doubt about Tkachuk’s impact on the Florida Panthers’ success in the postseason, but was it worth the $9.5 million per season to only squeeze into the postseason by one point?
No Time Table For Tkachuk’s Return
NHL stats aside, Mathew Tkachuk, gave the Florida Panthers everything he had in last year’s Stanley Cup run that ended in a five-game loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. We know what the NHL standings said, but at the end of the season, the Panthers locker room decided to physically give all they could to overcome a first-round opponent in the Boston Bruins, who ended the regular season with 135 points, 43 more than the Panthers.
Florida was down in the series 3-1 and tied at three with 10 minutes left in the third. It would have been easy for the Panthers to lay down, but at the 6:05 mark of overtime, Tkachuk earned every cent of his massive contract with the game-winner, proving to be the pivotal moment of Florida’s playoffs. Matthew Tkachuk’s stats in the postseason were an incredible 24 points in 20 playoff games and 34 in his last 32, dating back to the last NHL season.
Tkachuk is nursing a broken sternum suffered as a result of a hit by the Knights Keegan Kolesar in game three. As much as Tkachuk meant to the Panthers in game four against Boston, this was when Vegas took control of the series.
The question remains, when will the 25-year-old be back for Paul Maurice, the answer is he’s not sure. The prognosis is anywhere from 8-12 weeks, which means you won’t see him for the preseason even if he falls within the parameters of his timeline. Maurice knows it’s more important to have Tkachuk ready for opening night in Minnesota.
Panthers Can’t Afford Another Slow Start
On New Year’s Day 2023, the Florida Panthers ws 16-18-4 after a holiday loss to the New York Rangers at home, 5-3. It was a low point for a season that started out with so much promise after finishing with 122 points in 21-22.
Tkachuk and Maurice were supposed to be the final push the Panthers needed to compete on the highest level after a second-round exit against the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to end the 2022 season.
To bettors, it was even worse after that New Year’s game because against the moneyline the Panthers were (16-22, -1227 units). Only the Chicago Blackhawks were worse with 1692 units lost. They were by far the most disappointing team in hockey. Matthew Tkachuk’s stats showed 17 goals and 26 assists after 34 games, but he knew that he would need to play a bigger role if the Panthers were to make the postseason.
From that point on, the Panthers were 39-26 for bettors (+956 units). Only the Chicago Blackhawks (+1482 units) and Vegas Golden Knights (+1419 units) were better, The Panthers lost 2-1 in overtime against the Toronto Maple Leafs in game number 81, but that one point was the difference as the Panthers beat out the Buffalo Sabres for the final Wild-Card spot.
Matthew Tkachuk’s stats after January 1st were that of a super-star with 23 goals and 43 assists. His 109 total points were the most in his career. He then washed that down with a spectacular postseason that saw the Panthers dispose of the Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Carolina Hurricanes. What effect the loss to the Golden Knights will have on the Panthers long term, if healthy, there is no doubt that the Panthers have a star in Florida for years to come.
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