Panthers Pulse: Matthew Tkachuk on the Fast Track to Being a Florida Legend
Two years removed from the blockbuster trade that brought him to South Florida, Matthew Tkachuk is already a Panthers legend.
Photo by Colby Guy
Leading up to the beginning of training camp, Pucks and Palms will be previewing each of the key pieces of the defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers in a series called ‘Panthers Pulse’ heading into the 2024-25 season. Matthew Tkachuk leads the series off.
2023-24 Stats: 26 goals, 88 points (Playoffs: six goals, 22 points)
As Matthew Tkachuk wraps up a summer of celebration, he is as hungry as ever to lead the Florida Panthers to another Stanley Cup. He said it himself while he was parading the Cup around St. Louis.
“Throughout my whole career, I’ve always said that I have to win one and then you’ll be set,” Tkachuk told Jim Rome. “I’ve talked with guys who won one earlier in their career and they’re like ‘You’re good, you’ve got it for the rest of your career.’ And I couldn’t have been more wrong with saying that. I’m almost greedier. I want it more. I want that feeling again.”
If Tkachuk’s first two seasons in South Florida have taught the hockey world anything, he is a pain to deal with when he is hungry in big-game situations. They are going to have to deal with that once again next season.
His 17 goals and 46 points in 44 career postseason games with the Panthers speak for themselves. His goal total is good for fourth in franchise history behind Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Aleksander Barkov while his point total is third behind just Barkov and Verhaeghe.
Tkachuk finished the Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup this past season with six goals and 22 points, which tied him for the team lead in points with Barkov.
With six years remaining on the $9.5 million AAV contract he signed with the Panthers back in 2022, those numbers will only skyrocket.
So, where does Tkachuk stand heading into the 2024-25 season?
During the regular season, Tkachuk took a small step back from his 109-point 2022-23 season which brought his name into the Hart Trophy conversation, finishing with 88 points. But that number should be taken with a grain of salt for several reasons.
For one, he was coming off of a fractured sternum he suffered in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. While many around the team it wasn’t affecting his play by the time October came around, there was a clear shift after December. He also became committed to becoming a more well-rounded player in the defensive zone, which proved to be crucial in the long run as the Panthers made their run to the Stanley Cup.
Looking at his numbers from Dec. 23 on — a crucial turning point where Tkachuk notched two assists in a Stanley Cup Final rematch — he was one of the best players in the league.
Since then, he ranked fifth in assists (45) and ninth in points (66) among all NHL skaters. His 21 goals also cracked the Top 30 in that same span as well.
With Tkachuk entering the 2024-25 season fully healthy, he should once again be one of the NHL’s top point producers.
He has proven to be one of the league’s top scorers from the net front with a lethal playmaking ability. That will only continue to wreak havoc on the league going into the 2024-25 season and beyond.
Soon enough, his No. 19 will be hanging from the rafters of Amerant Bank Arena.
Up Next in Panthers Pulse: Gustav Forsling