Panthers Waiting for Matthew Tkachuk as Playoff Position Slips

The Florida Panthers entered the season as back-to-back Stanley Cup champions with expectations of another deep playoff run. Instead, they find themselves in seventh place in the Atlantic Division with a 23-18-3 record and just 49 points, barely clinging to playoff hopes.

The defending champions have lost four of their last six games, including a pair of defeats to the rebuilding Montreal Canadiens and a rough loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The latest embarrassment came Thursday when Montreal hammered Florida 6-2 at Bell Centre, marking the second time in recent weeks the Canadiens have beaten the Panthers.

"The good news is Matthew Tkachuk is almost back, and we all kind of agreed not to worry too much about their record until he returned," hockey writer Sam McIndoe noted. "But that was when we assumed their record would still have them in a playoff spot."

Injury Crisis Deepens

The Panthers' struggles stem directly from a devastating injury list that has decimated their roster. Matthew Tkachuk has yet to play a game this season after undergoing surgery in August to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia. Despite being cleared for contact in early January, his return date remains uncertain.

Captain Aleksander Barkov underwent ACL and MCL surgery in September and is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season. The injury crisis continued during the Winter Classic when defenseman Seth Jones sustained a collarbone injury in the first period of their 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers on January 2.

Jan 10, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) moves the puck away from Ottawa Senators defenseman Nick Jensen (3) in the second period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images | Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

The injury list extends to forwards Jonah Gadjovich, Tomas Nosek and Cole Schwindt, plus defenseman Dmitry Kulikov. The Panthers have overcome adversity before, playing 68 playoff games over the past three seasons to reach the Stanley Cup Final three consecutive times. But this challenge may prove their most difficult.

Panic Time Approaching

Florida sits seven points behind fourth-place Buffalo and just two points ahead of Ottawa for the final wildcard spot. With 38 games remaining, the margin for error has disappeared completely. "If it's not panic time yet, we're getting awfully close," McIndoe warned.

Coach Paul Maurice acknowledged the difficult reality his team faces when asked if they can overcome the injuries. "That's what our story is this year. Can we overcome it?" Maurice said after the Winter Classic loss.

The Panthers coach continued, "We aren't going to look the same, and people will probably attribute different things. Can we overcome our injuries? That's our challenge this year."

The Panthers defeated Colorado 2-1 on January 4, ending the Avalanche's 10-game winning streak, showing they still possess championship mettle. But those flashes have been too infrequent, and time is running out for Florida to salvage their season before the playoff race passes it by.

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