Bad news, Panthers fans.

Superstar left wing Matthew Tkachuk will be out for a good chunk of the upcoming campaign after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle back in August, according to Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito who announced the news Wednesday.

Tkachuk’s surgery took place following deliberations since the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign regarding if he required surgery, per OutKick. (RELATED: NHL Season Hasn’t Even Started Yet, And We Already Have Players Beating Hell Out Of Each Other)

That season, the two-time Stanley Cup champion only played 52 games prior to the playoffs, tallying 57 total points off 22 goals and 35 assists, according to NHL.com. He suffered his injuries while competing at the 4 Nations Face-Off representing the United States.

Team USA’s general manager for the Olympic Winter Games Milan Cortina 2026, Bill Guerin, stated that they’re “planning and expecting” Tkachuk to be a part of the tournament in February. It’s the first time since the 2014 Sochi Olympics that NHL players will be competing in the winter games.

Bill Zito provides an update on Matthew Tkachuk: pic.twitter.com/dzrYiPHKG5

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) September 17, 2025

It’s crazy how calm I am about this as a Florida Panthers fan, but at the same time, is it crazy? Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe, Sergei Bobrovsky … the list goes on and on with the talent we have. How can I be calm?

Oh, and not to mention, the same talent that’s fresh off two straight Stanley Cup championships. Yeah, it’s hard to be worried.

With that being said, I look forward to having Tkachuk back to make the march for a third consecutive title that much stronger.