Is Matthew Tkachuk playing tonight against Kraken? Panthers HC delivers latest on star forward's return post 4 Nations

Florida Panthers superstar Matthew Tkachuk will not play on Saturday night when they host the Seattle Kraken in their return from the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Tkachuk is dealing with a lower-body injury he suffered during Team USA's 3-1 win over Team Canada last Saturday night. He missed the Americans' final round-robin game against Sweden and played just 6:47 minutes in the championship game loss to Canada.

On Saturday, Panthers rinkside reporter Katie Engleson shared head coach Paul Maurice's latest update on Tkachuk ahead in his pregame media availability.

"Per HC Paul Maurice, Matthew Tkachuk will not play tonight vs. Seattle and will continue to be evaluated these next couple of days. Maurice says they will have a clear plan after that," Engleson wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Tkachuk was productive when available at the 4 Nations Face-Off, recording three points (two goals, one assist) in three games. He and his brother Brady Tkachuk were the heart and soul of Team USA, and his absence was a massive factor in them losing the final game against Team Canada.

The Panthers won't play again until Tuesday night in Nashville, so we should get another update on Tkachuk's status in the coming days. While he's sidelined, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart will shoulder the load offensively for the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

Matthew Tkachuk had been on fire before the 4 Nations

The injury comes at a tough time for Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers.

He was firing on all cylinders leading up to the 4 Nations Face-Off. The 27-year-old was on a six-game point streak where he registered 13 points (seven goals, six assists), scoring a goal in all six games. His hot streak saw his season totals improve to 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 52 games.

With just 25 games remaining in the Panthers' regular season, they'll play it safe with their star forward as they look to make another deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It will be interesting to see whether the injury affects the teams' plans leading up to the March 7 trade deadline.

The Panthers will return to action without Matthew Tkachuk on Saturday night when they host the Seattle Kraken. The puck drops at 6 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena.