What’s going on with Florida Panthers’ forward Matthew Tkachuk?
The injury likely occurred during the 4 Nations Face-Off, as in the first Team USA matchup against Canada, he missed the final 12:36 of the game. He wasn’t able to finish the Gold Medal game, either, with his last shift coming towards the end of the second period.
On Monday morning, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice announced that Tkachuk is dealing with a lower-body injury, but that he will play again this season.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that his timeline is unknown, but it could be somewhat long-term, which would be a big loss for the Panthers. This season, the 27-year-old has 22 goals and 57 points in 52 games as the reigning Stanley Cup champions sit second in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs.

John Gibson pulled from his most recent start due to injury

The Anaheim Ducks announced on Sunday afternoon that netminder John Gibson is day-to-day due to an upper-body injury.
Gibson’s name has been in the rumour mill as of late, as he’s arguably the best netminder available before Mar. 7’s trade deadline. So far this season, the 31-year-old goaltender has a .916 save percentage and 2.61 goals against average in 24 games played, with a 9-9-2 record.
Still, the Ducks have a couple of reasons to trade him, as they’re still in a rebuilding phase and could get significant assets for the netminder. Moreover, the Ducks have a 1A/1B situation with 23-year-old Lukáš Dostál, who has a .910 save percentage and 2.92 goals against average in 34 games.
The Edmonton Oilers have been linked to Gibson since the beginning of the season and with Stuart Skinner’s struggles this season, acquiring a more experienced netminder like Gibson may bolster their chances of a deep Stanley Cup post-season run.

Trevor Zegras suspended for three games

Sticking with news about the Anaheim Ducks, forward Trevor Zegras has been suspended for three games for interfering with Detroit Red Wings Michael Rasmussen on Sunday afternoon’s game.
The play occurred late in the second period, as Rasmussen chipped the puck off the glass. Zegras came in with a blindside hit and the principal point of contact was the Rasmussen’s head. It’s worth noting that the Red Wings forward is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
After back-to-back 23-goal, 60+ point seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23, Zergras’ career has come to a screeching halt the past two seasons. He only played 31 games in 2023-24 due to injury, scoring six goals and 15 points. So far this season, during which he has spent a significant number of games on the Injured Reserve, Zergras has seven goals and 16 points in 34 games.

Ryan Hartman’s suspension reduced to eight games

Ryan Hartman, who was suspended for 10 games before the 4 Nations Face-Off break, had his suspension reduced to eight games on Monday afternoon.
The incident happened on Feb. 1’s game against the Ottawa Senators, as he pushed Senators centre Tim Stützle’s head into the ice after a face-off and was ejected from the game. Hartman has already served four games of his eight-game suspension and is set to return on Mar. 4 against the Seattle Kraken.
This season, Hartman has seven goals and 17 points in 48 games and is coming off a season where he scored 21 goals and 45 points in 74 games. The 30-year-old’s best season came in 2021-22, scoring 34 goals and 65 points in 82 games that year.
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