Panthers’ Brady Tkachuk expected to play in season opener despite being out day-to-day

Some good and bad news for one of the Florida Panthers‘ newest stars.

On Wednesday, the Florida Panthers revealed that forward Brady Tkachuk is out with an undisclosed injury, but he’s expected to be back in action when the team drops the puck on the regular season.

While there have been no reports of how or when Tkachuk was hurt, he was involved in a fight in the Panthers’ preseason opener against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes this past Sunday.

Tkachuk stayed in the game, scoring an empty-net goal late in the third period to complete a Gordie Howe Hat Trick, securing a 6-3 victory for Florida. He was in the lineup on Tuesday night, potting another goal and an assist in a 3-2 shootout loss, giving him three goals and five points so far.

The 27-year-old was the team’s big acquisition over the offseason, as the Panthers traded for the former Ottawa Senators captain, uniting Brady with his older brother, Matthew. Brady adds a little more scoring and a significant amount of toughness to a squad that’s hoping for better fortunes in 2026-27, after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year.

Tkachuk has been an NHL star for several years and was a key part of the Senators’ transition from a rebuilding team to a postseason contender. He has posted 50 points in each of the past five seasons, scrounging up 59 points in an injury-riddled 2025-26 campaign.

The 27-year-old is heading into the sixth season of his seven-year contract, which he signed in October 2021. The deal has a cap hit of $8,205,714.

In 572 regular-season games in the NHL, Tkachuk has scored 213 goals and 250 assists for 463 points, with another seven points in 10 playoff contests.

The Panthers have two more preseason contests, both against the rival Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida opens the regular season next Tuesday, Sept. 29, against the Hurricanes.