Paul Maurice Drops Major Update on Matthew Tkachuk with Playoffs Around the Corner

The Florida Panthers haven't been at their best as of late, and that's likely due to an Aaron Ekblad suspension as well as injuries to the likes of Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk.

The latter has been out for the past six weeks since the Four Nations break, and while he's been on the ice, he hasn't ramped up towards an official return, until now.

In his latest interview, Head Coach Paul Maurice has revealed that Tkachuk is expected to return to practice next week, and while he may not be at 100% when the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, all signs are currently pointing towards a Stanley Cup Playoffs return.

At the trade deadline, the Panthers loaded up with the additions of Nico Sturm, Seth Jones and Brad Marchand, and with both Bennett and Tkachuk potentially getting healthy for the post-season, optimism is very high.

When he was healthy this year, Tkachuk had 57 points in 52 games played, and when he takes a line alongside Bennett and Marchand in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it will be one of the most intriguing lines in the league.

That health comes with major question marks though, as Aleksander Barkov has also missed games recently, and while everyone outside of Bennett/Tkachuk appears to be getting healthy, it's still something to be concerned about.

Regardless, No. 19 is expected to ramp up next week, and if he's good to go (likely) against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Panthers could be once again considered the favourite in the Eastern Conference.