The Florida Panthers are about to enter the 2025-26 season hungrier than ever. After winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, they look to be the first team since the New York Islanders in 1981, 1982, and 1983 to win three straight championships.
However, they will be starting the new season without arguably their biggest name on the roster. Forward Matthew Tkachuk recently went under the knife for his torn adductor injury he suffered last postseason. He is projected to be out until January, giving him a chance to play in the upcoming Olympic Winter Games. Additionally, it changes how the roster will look for that short period of time.
Panthers Are Likely Placing Him on Long-Term Injured Reserve
After signing Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett, and others to new contracts this offseason, the Panthers put themselves in a bad cap situation. Currently, they sit at $4.5 million above the salary cap.
With Tkachuk going on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), that is going to free up $9.5 million in cap space. This will get them $5 million in wiggle room, keeping the team cap compliant.
Evan Rodrigues Is Likely Sticking Around Until the Deadline
Evan Rodrigues’ name was thrown around in trade rumors as a potential cap casualty due to the team’s cap issues. He is currently in the third year of his four-year contract, a $12 million deal worth $3 million per season that he signed back in the 2023 offseason.
Related: Where Do the Panthers Stack Up In the Atlantic in the Regular Season?
With the team potentially putting Tkachuk on LTIR, Rodrigues might not be getting shipped out until later on in the season, if at all. If that is the case, they still get to keep a great asset on the roster for the time being, as he put up great numbers the last two seasons. Last postseason alone, he scored a pair of goals and assisted on 13 others in 21 games.
Mackie Samoskevich Is Going to Get More Ice Time
With the absence of Tkachuk, Panthers fans are going to see a lot more of young forward Mackie Samoskevich. That should be exciting, considering how good a regular season he had in his rookie campaign.
Related: Draisaitl, Hughes & Tkachuk Are the NHL’s Overlooked Stars
Last regular season, Samoskevich had 15 goals and 16 assists through 72 games. His goal total was tied for eighth best among rookies in the NHL. In addition, he was sixth among rookies in power play points with 11 (four goals, seven assists) and tied for second among rookies in game-winning goals with five. Along with that, he assisted on the opening goal of the Panthers’ championship run in Game 1 of the first round. This opportunity will help him take the next step in his development.
Panthers’ Depth Should Be Good Enough To Get to January
Even with the absence of Tkachuk, the Panthers are still pretty loaded forward-wise. They still have a great top nine with guys like Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Carter Verhaeghe. Their depth was a massive part in the team winning consecutive championships.
In addition, it’s only grown stronger with the addition of Luke Kunin, solidifying the toughness of the fourth line. While the team is far from perfect without him, they have the components to hold out for at least the first half of the regular season. However, once Tkachuk fully recovers from his procedure, the league is in big trouble.
