Panthers GM Bill Zito anticipates return timeline for Matthew Tkachuk after surgery

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk will miss the first part of the season after having the procedure to fix a sports hernia and a torn adductor muscle this summer. Panthers general manager Bill Zito said the team expects him back around December, but the timeline could change depending on how Tkachuk recovers.

After the season, Tkachuk said he was not certain he would need surgery. Speaking with ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski in August, he said the decision was “50/50.” However, in the end, the injury was too serious to avoid surgery.

Zito explained that the recovery plan will not follow an exact timeline.

“There are measuring posts along the way and then how your reaction is at a certain point would then dictate when the next one is,” he said, via sportsnet.

He added that December is the likely return point, but did not want to make any promises.

"It's not necessarily equally laid-out timelines," Zito added. "And so, we anticipate him being out until December-ish, but don’t hold me to that. That's my internet medical degree.”

Last season, Tkachuk missed 30 games due to injury, but the Panthers made it to the playoffs with a 47-31-4 record. Tkachuk scored 22 goals and 35 assists in 52 games. In the postseason, Tkachuk returned and helped the Panthers win their second straight Stanley Cup. In 23 playoff games, he scored eight goals and added 15 assists.

Florida will start the season at home on October 7 against the Chicago Blackhawks without one of their top players.

The team wants Tkachuk to be fully healthy before returning. After winning the Cup in June, he said the experience was even more meaningful because of how tough it was just to stay on the ice.

"I wouldn't be here without the trainers and the doctors and those people, and that's what makes this Cup more special for me is how hard it was just to be out there and to get to the point of playing," Tkachuk said via NHL.com.

Now, with proper recovery, the Panthers hope he will be ready to contribute again in the middle of the season.

Bill Guerin confident Matthew Tkachuk will be ready for 2026 Olympics

Despite the injury, Matthew Tkachuk remains part of Team USA’s Olympic plans for Milano Cortina 2026. General manager Bill Guerin said, via NHL.com:

"Planning and expecting (to have him). I mean, that's just what I have to do. And if something changes, then we'll change it, but he's on and he's going to be on until he can't."

Tkachuk missed the August orientation camp after surgery, but Guerin said he was positive when they spoke. Even though he missed part of the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year, Guerin still sees Tkachuk as an important player for Team USA.