After a 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Elliotte Friedman got into a discussion about the Florida Panthers on Friday. 32 Thought Podcastand told his co-host Kyle Bukauskas, “I bet someone, Kyle, $100 this week that the Panthers would make the playoffs.” He suggested things have grown in Florida, where the Panthers are struggling to stay in the playoff race, but noted that Matthew Tkachuk is coming back and the team is still waiting for news on Aleksander Barkov.
Friedman then dropped an intriguing nugget, saying, “…to me, that’s going to be the most interesting question. Are the Panthers going to be in a situation where they say we can’t wait for Barkov’s LTIR anymore and we have to make a call?”
Friedman explained:
“…you know the longer Florida is in a battle here, you’re going to look at it and say, hey, maybe we need some help.” He noted that the strange Eetu Luostarinen injury is real, “so again, that’s another guy that’s very important to your team.” Friedman asked, “What’s your schedule with him?”
Could Matthew Tkachuk make a surprise return?
He hinted that it sounds like Tkachuk isn’t far away, and some people are wondering if he’ll suddenly pop up on the outside. Tkachuk took aim at the return of the Winter Classic, while Bukauskas added that rumors of a special edition stick made with Sherwood would accompany his return to that game.
Friedman is still unsure if Tkachuk’s timeline changes what the Panthers need to do. He noted, “…it’s more than him, and the longer you’re in trouble, the more it can force you to make certain decisions.”
Friedman didn’t offer any ideas or targets for the Panthers to look at, but if they move Barkov to LTIR because he’ll miss the playoffs, they’ll have plenty of room to add another piece.
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