Matthew Tkachuk May Miss All of 2025 After Ungoing Surgery for Injury Suffered at Four Nations Faceoff

The 2024/25 season was an eventful one for Matthew Tkachuk, as he not only represented the United States at the Four Nations Faceoff, but also won his second straight Stanley Cup as a member of the Florida Panthers.

Despite all of the success, the off-season has presented Tkachuk with a major decision, as he was recently mulling over a potential surgery following an injury sustained at the Four Nations tournament.

Now, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Tkachuk has indeed already undergone the surgery, and is likely to be out until January at the earliest, meaning he'll likely miss the entire first half of the season heading into the 2026 Olympic Games.

Pagnotta does note that the timeline is unclear however, meaning that he could return sooner or even potentially miss representing the United States at the Olympics, but for now, it's highly unlikely that we see him until late December at the earliest.

This is a major blow for the Panthers, but given their top-six wingers in Tkachuk's absence will be Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart, Evan Rodrigues and Brad Marchand, it's safe to say that this loaded team can still thrive in his absence.

To win the Stanley Cup however, this team will need Tkachuk fully healthy, meaning his status for the Olympics could come into question heading into the season, but for now, he's expected to be at 100% well before the end of the season, meaning this team is likely to be a genuine Stanley Cup threat once more in 2026.