Matthew Tkachuk update: Insider shares concerning news on Panthers star forward's season-jeopardizing injury

There is growing concern surrounding Matthew Tkachuk's injury status. The Florida Panthers superstar missed Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken with a lower-body ailment. He suffered the injury during Team USA's 3-1 win over Team Canada during round-robin play at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Tkachuk sat out the final tune-up game against Sweden, attempting to play in the championship game in a rematch with Team Canada. He managed to play just 6:47 before watching the remainder of the game from the bench. It was clear his injury was more serious than they were letting on.

NHL reporter for TVA Sports Renaud Lavoie provided the latest update on what he's hearing regarding Tkachuk. Marc Dumont of MontrealHockeyNow shared his comments on X on Saturday:

"Renaud Lavoie is suggesting there's some concern that Mathew Tkachuk's season might be over. He did not confirm it, just said "we're waiting for important medical results, we're hearing his year might be over, we don't want it to be, but there's some concern," Dumont wrote.

While we don't want to speculate too much until the injury and timeline are confirmed, this could be terrible news for Tkachuk and the Panthers.

It's a situation that bears watching over the next several days as it could shift the balance of power in the Eastern Conference as we get closer to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Florida hopes to have the full picture of his injury should they need to change their plans before the trade deadline.

Matthew Tkachuk has been extremely durable throughout his career

It's strange to see Matthew Tkachuk out of the lineup because of an injury. The 27-year-old has been one of the most durable players in the league in recent years. He's played in 349 of the last 360 possible games in his time with the Panthers and Flames, and of those 11 games he's missed, several were due to illness.

Tkachuk is having another strong season, racking up 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 52 games played. The absence of his offensive ability was instantly felt as Florida was held to one goal in a loss to the Kraken on Saturday night.

The Panthers will presumably continue life without Matthew Tkachuk when they head to Nashville for a matchup with the Predators on Tuesday night. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EST at Bridgestone Arena.