NHL.com’s fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Today, we identify the key advanced metrics surrounding Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk as he approaches his season debut.
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Matthew Tkachuk is set to make his season debut Monday, and his strong advanced stats have the back-to-back champion Florida Panthers equipped for another Stanley Cup run.
The forward has missed the first half of this season after having surgery to repair a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia on Aug. 22. Tkachuk, who had 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 52 regular-season games last season, was injured in February of 2025 playing for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off; he missed the final 25 games of last regular season but returned for Game 1 of the playoffs.
He had 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) and played in all 23 playoff games as the Panthers repeated as Stanley Cup champions last season. Since being traded to Florida from the Calgary Flames prior to the 2022-23 season, Tkachuk leads the Panthers in regular-season points per game (1.20; 254 in 211 games), assists (166) and shots on goal per game (3.59).
Over his three postseasons with the Panthers, Tkachuk leads them with 69 points (25 goals, 44 assists) in 67 games, ranking fourth in the entire NHL over that span, helping Florida make three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances. Tkachuk, who had three points (two goals, one assist) and 12 shots on goal in three games at the 4 Nations Face-Off prior to his injury, has been selected to the United States roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Here are three underlying metrics storylines behind Tkachuk’s impact on the Panthers:
1. High-danger prowess
From the start of last season to his final regular-season game (Feb. 8, 2025), Tkachuk ranked in the 96th percentile among forwards in both high-danger shots on goal (55) and high-danger goals (13). Only Sam Reinhart (15) scored more high-danger goals than Tkachuk on the Panthers over that span.
Last season, 10 of Tkachuk’s final 16 goals (regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs combined) were high-danger goals. In the 2025 postseason, Tkachuk ranked in the 97th percentile among forwards in high-danger goals (five) and 91st percentile at the position in high-danger shots on goal (14). During the 2022-23 season (Tkachuk’s first with Panthers), he was tied for third in the entire NHL in high-danger goals (31) and ranked fifth in high-danger shots on goal (158).
