Matthew Tkachuk addresses injury concerns; offseason surgery not ruled out by Panthers captain

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk may need offseason surgery. Speaking after the team’s Stanley Cup win, Tkachuk played with a torn adductor muscle. The injury, near the groin, was severe because the muscle was torn off the bone.

NHL insider David Dwork gave an update from Takchuk. He mentioned that Tkachuk said it’s “50-50” whether he will need surgery. He said he will have tests in the coming weeks. He’s unsure how long the recovery could take.

"It’s not going to be a normal summer for me," Tkachuk said. "But it’s going to be the best summer yet."

Despite the injury, Tkachuk had 23 points in 23 playoff games. He scored key goals and was strong in both offense and defense. He also played more than 22 minutes in several high-pressure games. In Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, he scored once in a 5-1 win to successfully defend their championship.

But after winning his second Stanley Cup, Tkachuk talked about playing through injury.

"I tore my adductor off the bone and then had some hernia thing all on the same side." Tkachuk said, via The Hockey News. "I wanted to throw in the towel a bunch of times. I gotta thank a bunch of people for getting me healthy enough. I'm sure I wasn't the easiest to deal with. "My fiancee did a great job on days when I probably wasn't in the best mood coming to the rink. My trainers, ... I just owe them so much."

Matthew Tkachuk had missed several games before the playoffs after the 4 Nations. Tkachuk may not be ready for the start of next season. But for now, he plans to rest, recover and make a decision about surgery soon.

Matthew Tkachuk previously commented on playing through injury

Last week, Matthew Tkachuk revealed that he did not know if he could play in the playoffs. He had been out since February with a lower-body injury. He only found out a day before Game 1 that he might be able to return to the Florida Panthers lineup.

Tkachuk was proud that he played through it to help his team.

"The first round was definitely the worst I felt, by far," Tkachuk said. "So I knew that even at nowhere close to what I expect out of myself, I knew I needed to help out as best I can if we were going to get by them."

Tkachuk thanked the team doctors and trainers for their help. He is happy since his body held up during the playoffs.

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Edited by Krutik Jain