After an underwhelming start to the season, the Florida Panthers are back on their feet, showing signs of remarkable agility. The team has clawed its way to the fourth position of the Atlantic Division with 42 points, and whether the Panthers will be able to hold on to the Stanley Cup remains to be seen.

Missing from the ice has been the Panthers’ standout winger, Matthew Tkachuk. A particularly devastating turn of events at the 4 Nations Face-Off sidelined the winger for a painful length of time. He showed up for his team as they battled a relentless Edmonton Oilers to defend the Cup, but has since then remained absent. But not for long now.

Florida Panthers Might be Graced by Matthew Tkachuk Soon

The Panthers were riding high on the wave of a four-game winning streak when the St. Louis Blues brought their campaign to a screeching halt by dealing the team a 6-2 loss. The South Florida outfit regained composure quickly through their 5-2 clean win over the Metropolitan Division forerunners, the Carolina Hurricanes. Amid a progressing season, the fan base has occasionally wondered about Tkachuk’s return.

According to the 28-year-old, it isn’t long before the Panthers community has to wait to see him back in action on the ice. The Panthers could receive a Holiday present in the form of Tkachuk’s comeback.

“I’ll be back with the team, probably practising, snapping it around out there with the boys, I would imagine, right after Christmas if things go, wow, go as they’ve been going right now. So I don’t know exactly what day, but it’ll be just after that. I’m just following the doctor’s and trainer’s orders right now,” Tkachuk dropped the much-awaited update on the “Wingmen” podcast.

Tkachuk is pining for some on-ice action and desperately wants to get back with the team to get a dose of the quintessential NHL hockey.

“So when they say I can come back with the boys, I’m back with the boys. When they say I can take some contact to get drilled, I can’t wait to get drilled in practise by like Meeksy or Ackie or somebody like for the first time. Like it’s been too long. Game six. When was game six? Mid-June. Like I need to hit somebody and I need to get crushed in practise,” Tkachuk admitted.

The Panthers have really gained some admirable momentum recently. In a recent work for The Athletic, Dom Luszczyszyn put the defending champions’ playoff odds at 68%, estimating the team’s likelihood of pulling off a Stanley Cup three-peat at 2%. After the Panthers lifted the Cup for a second consecutive time, Tkachuk prophesied dynasty status for the team. Is his return the key to the team finally achieving the same?