Panthers’ Aaron Ekblad Situation Creates Unexpected Matthew Tkachuk Benefit

Speaking on “NHL Coast to Coast Prime,” Seravalli said the Panthers hadn’t ruled out the possibility.

“The door has been opened with the 20-game suspension to Aaron Ekblad,” Seravalli said. “His money comes off the books, and there’s a small window—potentially in the last week of the regular season.

"If all goes well (with Tkachuk's recovery), they could make the money work and get Matthew Tkachuk back on their cap.”

Although Zito described Tkachuk as “out for an extended period of time,” Seravalli believes this scenario would be ideal for Florida, giving Tkachuk a few games to regain form before the Stanley Cup Playoffs start on April 19.

“That would be the best-case scenario,” Seravalli said. “The Panthers still aren’t sure of the timeline yet, but man, what a turn of events for Florida.”

Tkachuk had 22 goals and 57 points in 52 games before the injury, leading the Panthers’ offense. He still ranks third in total points and is tied for second in goals among his teammates.

The Panthers secured a 3-2 victory over division-rival Toronto on Thursday, extending their lead in the Atlantic Division to four points over the Maple Leafs and six over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (who stopped 23 of 25 shots) earned a place in NHL history on Thursday as he recorded his 424th career victory, moving into sole possession of 10th place on the league’s all-time wins list.

“It was like a playoff game out there,” forward Sam Bennett said after the win. “You have to do a lot of the small things right and, for the most part, we did that.”