“With these long-term injuries, we just wait until the last [minute],” the Panthers’ head coach, Paul Maurice, said on Tuesday about the possibility of having star forward Matthew Tkachuk on the team for Game 1 of the playoffs. The defending Stanley Cup champs have a tough challenge ahead as they face arch in-state rivals Tampa Bay in Round 1 of this year’s postseason campaign. However, while the stars do seem to have aligned for the Miami team, the NHL community isn’t exactly amused.
Matthew Tachuk has been out of action ever since he incurred a lower-body injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year. Naturally, with the Panthers clinching their spot in the playoffs, fans have spent extended hours wondering whether he would lace up for the steep climb ahead. It looks like he just might. But looking at how the NHL has come down hard on some of Florida’s foes ahead of the postseason began, fans seem to have something to say about it.
The official Florida Panthers’ X account shared a much-awaited update on Tkachuk’s health condition via a post on the platform on April 22. Captioned, “An update on Chucky,” the post notes that Matthew Tkachuk has been activated from injury reserve before tonight’s clash against the Bolts. While it is welcome news for Panthers fans, their comrades can’t help but be amazed by how the NHL let things slide for the 2024 Stanley Cup winners while other camps like the Edmonton Oilers have to pay a hefty fine for their LTIRs.
The Oilers’ Evander Kane was barred by the NHL from playing in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Kings. “I’ve heard the NHL really scrutinized a number of teams late in the regular season and they wanted detailed explanations of why some players couldn’t play Game 82, and then could be ready for Game 1 of the playoffs,” noted Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, and it looks like the Edmonton star is among the unfortunate souls who got picked up on the NHL’s radar.
An update on Chucky. pic.twitter.com/ZaxMfsYLYF
— x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 22, 2025
Naturally, fans are astonished by how Matthew Tkachuk got the green signal to hit the ice while Kane wasn’t able to do the same. “@FriedgeHNIC thought the NHL is coming down on the LTIR rule lol I swear once the oilers do it the whole game changes,” one fan noted their amusement at how the Panthers and the Oilers were dealt very different treatments by the North American hockey apex body.
The story is developing
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