Ex-Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk struggling to score for the Panthers

While there has been plenty of talk about the struggles of former Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau, few have spoken about the rough start to the season for Matthew Tkachuk.

The 25-year-old could do no wrong in his first year with the Florida Panthers a season ago, scoring 40 goals while registering a career-high 109 points. Even better was his performance in the playoffs, as he led the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final, scoring 11 goals and 24 points in 20 outings. While undoubtedly one of the game’s most elite talents today, he is struggling through the first quarter of the 2023-24 campaign.

Tkachuk’s goal in the Panthers’ most recent game versus the New York Islanders snapped a 10-game drought for the pesky winger, giving him a grand total of four on the season. Having played in 24 games thus far, that puts him on a 14-goal pace over an 82-game schedule.

To Tkachuk’s credit, he is still finding ways to contribute offensively with 15 assists on the year. That said, his 19 points have him on pace for just 64, which would be extremely disappointing for a player who has recorded north of 100 in each of his past two seasons.

The good news for Tkachuk is that, unlike Gaudreau, his team is still winning games. The Panthers 14-8-2 record has them sitting second in the Atlantic Division, which is helping divert the attention from Tkachuk’s struggles. That said, if they continue for much longer, you can expect it to get plenty more recognition, as he is both paid and expected to be one of the game’s best point-producing forwards.

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