“It’s our time.” This was what Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk had said during the 4 Nations Face-Off. But it wasn’t Team USA’s time in the final and it hasn’t been Tkachuk’s time either since the NHL season resumed. After being banged up in the 4 Nations round-robin game against Canada, the forward had to sit out the formality versus Sweden. And even though he skated up for Thursday’s final, he could only manage 6:47 minutes of ice time. His absence during the Seattle Kraken game? That only sent the rumor mill into overtime. 

“We’re waiting for important medical results, and we’re hearing his year might be over, we don’t want it to be, but there’s some concern,” reported TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie. But thanks to Elliotte Friedman and the Panthers coach Paul Maurice, the situation is clearer and the news is better.

The NHL insider hopped on to X on Monday. He wrote, “On the @JoeRoseShow this morning, FLA coach Paul Maurice said Matthew Tkachuk’s injury (believed to be a groin) could be a bit longer term. “But he’s playing for us this year.” 

A day ago Maurice’s stance was different when he said, “I don’t know that anything changed in that game from the game prior in terms of his injury. He’ll get back in here today, we’ll look at him over today and tomorrow. I’ll probably have a better handle on (the injury) tomorrow but not a final one,” while giving an update on Matthew Tkachuk’s groin injury ahead of the Panthers vs Kraken game. 

Though the cameras didn’t show how Tkachuk sustained the injury during 4 Nations, reports say his fight with Brandon Hagel might have been the reason. And it was a bummer for Panthers fans when they saw Matthew Tkachuk on the sideline and not on the ice. 

Maurice is not really losing his sleep over the Florida Panthers forward’s comeback. “The reason that we’re vague on all these before we get the report is because there’s always a chance of everything, right? There’s always something unusual in one of these. I don’t think it is, we’re not worried about it.” The Florida coach said this on Monday. 

Meanwhile, fans think there’s something more strategic, or even sinister, behind Matthew Tkachuk’s injury and the vagueness surrounding it. A lot of them are speculating that the Panthers camp is saving Tkachuk so that they can have him at his best during the all-important playoffs.

Fans fuming over the Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk’s doubtful injury tenure

As soon as Elliotte Friedman’s update about Matthew Tkachuk’s injury hit the ice, one fan reacted to it asking, “Miraculous recovery before game 1 of the playoffs?” While another fan grabbed the Panthers team by the neck, saying, “He’ll play game #1 in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Florida can spend to the cap at the trade deadline. TB did it with Kucherov and Vegas did it most recently.” And if this was not enough, more fans jumped into criticizing Tkachuk.

Complementary to the above point, one fan commented on X, “He’ll be fully healthy for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. No earlier or later than that”. Several hockey fans called him a selfish guy. Out of that many comments on X, one fan reacted, “Such a selfish move for him to ‘play’ in the final of the 4 Nations, when he knew he wasn’t healthy….while Kyle Connor sat as a healthy scratch.” And giving it a different flavor, another fan said, “Should be ready by the playoffs, let’s watch all the cap maneuvers before the trade deadline.” 

Importantly, the injury has not been visible on any camera which is making hockey fans think that the Florida Panthers and Matthew Tkachuk are playing! Let’s see if fan’s predictions become real or not!