FORT LAUDERDALE - The Florida Panthers will be without forwards Matthew Tkachuk and Tomas Nosek when they kick off their 2025-26 season, President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Zito announced on media day at Baptist Health IcePlex on Wednesday.

Both players had offseason surgery and are expected to miss extended periods of time.

“Anticipate him (Tkachuk) being out until December-ish,” Zito said of Tkachuk.

“Months, for sure,” he said of Nosek.

Helping the Panthers win back-to-back Stanley Cups, Tkachuk’s 23 points (8 goals, 15 assists) tied for the team lead alongside Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe during last year’s playoffs.

In the regular season, Tkachuk, easily one of the most-recognizable faces in the NHL, notched 57 points in 52 games, ranking third on Florida

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