Panthers Concerned About Tkachuk Return, May Have to ‘Make a Call’

Following a 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Elliotte Friedman got into a discussion about the Florida Panthers on Friday’s 32 Thoughts Podcast, and noted to his co-host Kyle Bukauskas, “I bet someone this week, Kyle, $100, that the Panthers were going to make the playoffs.” He suggested things have grown concerning in Florida, where the Panthers are struggling to stay in the playoff race, but noted that Matthew Tkachuk is coming back and the team is still waiting on news regarding Aleksander Barkov.

Friedman then dropped an intriguing nugget, saying, “… to me, that is going to be the most interesting question. Do the Panthers get into a situation where they say we can’t wait on Barkov’s LTIR anymore, and we have to make a call?”

Friedman explained:

“…you know the longer that Florida is in a battle here, you start to take a look at it and say, hey, we might need to add help.” He noted that the odd Eetu Luostarinen injury is a real thing, “so again, that’s another guy who’s really important to your team.” Friedman asked, “What’s your schedule with him?”

Could Matthew Tkachuk Make a Surprise Return?

He hinted that it sounds like Tkachuk is not far away, and some people are wondering if he’s suddenly going to pop up at the outdoor game. Tkachuk was targeting the Winter Classic to return, while Bukauskas added that rumors of a special-edition stick made with Sherwood would accompany his return in that game.

Friedman still isn’t sure the Tkachuk timeline changes what the Panthers need to do. He noted, “…it’s more than him, and the longer you’re in trouble, the more it can force you into making some decisions.”

Friedman didn’t offer up any ideas or targets that the Panthers might be looking at, but if they move Barkov to LTIR because he’s going to miss the playoffs, they’ll have plenty of cap space with which to add another piece.

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