The Florida Panthers made the expected move of putting Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) on Sunday. The Panthers had to make the move because they did not have enough cap space to recall a backup goalie from AHL Charlotte without getting Tkachuk’s salary off the cap.

Seth Jones got to skate as a member of the Florida Panthers for the first time on Monday. It's anyone's guess when Matthew Tkachuk will be sharing the ice with his newest teammate. The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers confirmed Monday,

Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk will miss Florida's game against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday because of a lower-body injury.

Bill Zito has shown during his time leading the Florida Panthers’ hockey operations that he is not afraid to make a big move. There was the Matthew Tkachuk blockbuster in the summer of 2022. There was trading first-round picks to get forwards Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett.

The Florida Panthers star will miss the remainder of the regular season with a groin injury he sustained while playing for Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The Florida Panthers added defense to bolster their repeat of a Stanley Cup win. Now the question with Matthew Tkachuk put on injured reserve is whether they have another move coming.

The most interesting development about Tkachuk’s placement on LTIR is that it frees up $9.5 million in cap space, setting up the Panthers to make additions ahead of Friday’s trade deadline, exploiting a widely known NHL salary cap loophole.

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