Matthew Tkachuk Set for Panthers Season Debut

Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips. Florida Panthers Forward Matthew Tkachuk is set to make his season debut when the Panthers take on the San Jose Sharks, head coach Paul Maurice confirmed on Monday. Tkachuk, 28, has yet to play this season while he’s been recovering from an off-season surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia. The 6-foot-2 winger recorded 22 goals and 57 points in 52 games last season. He added eight goals and 23 points in 23 playoff games to help the Panthers win their second of back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. Tkachuk is also gearing up for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. after he was one of the United States’ first six players named to the team in June. The Panthers assigned forward Noah Gregor to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers to make room for Tkachuk on the roster. Additionally, forward Brad Marchand participated in Monday’s morning skate in a regular jersey, according to George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. Marchand, 37, missed the team’s last five games with an undisclosed injury. The 5-foot-9 winger has 23 goals and 46 points in 41 games this season and is set to represent Canada at the Winter Olympics in February. Maurice also confirmed that Sergei Brobrovsky will get the start against the Sharks on Monday. Bobrovsky, 37, has a 19-13-1 record this season with an .875 save percentage and a 3.09 goals-against average. Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Matthew Knies was absent from the team’s morning skate prior to their game against the Minnesota Wild, according to TSN’s Mark Masters. Head coach Craig Berube said Knies will be a game-time decision for tonight. “It’s obviously bothering him a lot for quite some time and hasn’t gotten really that much better other than when he gets some breaks,” said Berube. “Like Christmas time and stuff, he comes back & he feels better. It’s an ongoing issue.” Knies, 23, skated 18:58 during the team’s 4-3 overtime win over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, recording a shot with two penalty minutes and a minus-2 rating. The 6-foot-3 winger has 12 goals and 40 points in 45 games this season. Additionally, Joseph Woll is projected to get the start in net against the Wild. Woll, 27, has won three of his last four games and has an 11-4-3 record this season with a .914 save percentage and 2.73 goals-against average. Forward William Nylander remains absent from the team’s skate as he continues to recover from a lower-body injury. The 6-foot winger re-aggravated the injury during the team’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday after he previously missed six games with the same injury. Nylander has 17 goals and 48 points in 37 games this season. The Maple Leafs recalled forward Jacob Quillan from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on Monday. Quillan, 23, appeared in three games with the Maple Leafs earlier this season without recording a point and with a plus-2 rating. The 6-foot-1 centre has eight goals and 27 points in 28 games in the AHL this season. The Maple Leafs used these lines during Monday’s morning skate: Montreal Canadiens Forward Alex Texier was not at practice on Monday morning, with what the team called a therapy day. Kirby Dach practiced on the top line with Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki and appears to be close to returning from a broken foot that has kept him out of the lineup since Nov. 15. He has five goals and seven points in 15 games this season. Patrik Laine practiced on the fourth line and rotated on the right wing with Zach Bolduc alongside Joe Veleno and Jake Evans. The forward has been out since Oct. 16 after undergoing abdominal surgery. The Canadiens used these lines during Monday’s practice: Caufield - Suzuki - Dach Slafkovsky - Kapanen - Demidov Gallagher/Blais - Danault - Anderson Veleno - Evans - Bolduc/Laine Matheson - Dobson Hutson - Carrier Guhle - Xhekaj/Struble Dobes Montembeault Minnesota Wild The Wild practiced with the following lines ahead of their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kaprizov-Hartman-Zuccarello Trenin-Yurov-Tarasenko Foligno-Haight-Hinostroza Jones-Sturm-Pitlick Hughes-Faber Middleton-Spurgeon Hunt-Jiricek/Spacek Columbus Blue Jackets The Blue Jackets have assigned forward Mikael Pyyhtia to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters on Monday. Pyyhtia, 24, was drafted 114th overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2020 draft and has a goal in five games in Columbus this season. The 6-foot winger also has seven goals and 22 points in 23 games in the AHL.