Matthew Tkachuk wrapped up the 2024‑25 NHL regular season with an impressive 22 goals and 57 points in only 52 games. He played a key role for Team USA at the Nations Face-Off, but unfortunately, he hurt his groin during the final match and had to sit out the last 12 minutes of an important rematch against Canada. Tkachuk was sidelined for the remainder of the regular season, and the Panthers put him on long-term injured reserve. That move opened up about $8.7 million in cap space—cash that Florida would quickly use to bring in Seth Jones and Brad Marchand before the trade deadline.

Even though there was a setback, Tkachuk came back for the playoffs and put on a tough, memorable show in Game 1 of the first round. He scored twice, both on the power play, and added an assist, helping Florida take down Tampa Bay 6-2 and giving the team a boost of postseason energy right away. Tkachuk really pushed through a torn adductor muscle that was detached from the bone and a sports hernia on the same side during the entire playoffs. Even with the pain, Tkachuk ended up racking up 23 points in total with 8 goals and 15 assists.

Now, recently, during a conversation with Greg Andrews on Florida Digest’s YouTube channel, reporter Arda Ocal framed Tkachuk’s pending decisions as the key domino for Florida’s offseason, drawing a direct parallel to trade‑deadline scenarios. “This reminds me of, at the trade deadline, when there’s one player; clearly, every team is waiting for the domino or the shoe to drop before every other move happens. So I think the Matthew Tkachuk news comes out first, whether he’s going to do the surgery or not, whether he’s playing game one, whether he’s going to be out for a prolonged time,” he said.

Ocal truly emphasized the situation with the Panthers’ finances. So, with key players like Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Marchand already signed, Florida found itself about $3.7 million over the salary cap as they headed into the offseason. So, if Tkachuk requires surgery or is ultimately placed on LTIR to open the season, which is the more palatable move—draining cap space via long-term injured reserve or trading one of the Panthers’ depth forwards?

That’s where the name Evan Rodrigues invariably comes up. Ocal emphasized this point, saying, “But I would say once that decision is made, then we will quickly hear about the roster moves, Evan Rodriguez, to your point. I would guess that there would be some tinkering. There’s always tinkering based on injuries and what happens during the season, etc. For Evan, the better the season he has, the more value he has. I’m sure that he would love to stay with the Panthers. Yeah, and the incentive is certainly there for him if he contributes in a big way that maybe he can earn his stay in a way. So yeah, it’s going to be interesting.”

If Ocal is correct, then we should see the Panthers making roster moves pretty quickly after Tkachuk makes his decision—whether that’s going for surgery or getting cleared for full-contact training—within a week or so. However, amidst all this, the forward didn’t forget to celebrate winning his second Stanley Cup with the Panthers.

Matthew Tkachuk took multiple trips with the Stanley Cup

It all started that night when the Florida Panthers secured their second championship in a row at Sunrise. In the locker room, Matthew Tkachuk was at the center of a lively celebration, with champagne bottles popping and cigars being lit, all while the catchy tune of “Pink Pony Club” played in the background.

In the days that followed, Lord Stanley became the star of a celebration tour in South Florida. Tkachuk really took the trophy along for the ride, treating it like his own travel buddy. He pulled off some stunts that went viral, garnering criticism from many hockey purists, like when he brought the Cup into a local police station and even posed inside the jail at the Brentwood Police Department.

As the party went on, Tkachuk’s vibe was confidently daring. He shared during the celebrations, saying, “I was talking to Gustav Forsling in the back, and we thought about one of my favorite lines ever, and it was: ‘I would like to apologize to absolutely f—— g nobody, because the double champs does what the f — he wants.” For Tkachuk, the Cup was more than just a trophy—it was a chance to celebrate without holding back.