FORT LAUDERDALE - Brady Tkachuk, the Florida Panthers’ marquee offseason acquisition, has been cleared to play in Tuesday’s 2026-27 season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center, head coach Paul Maurice confirmed Monday after the forward missed time with a preseason injury.
Tkachuk, 27, was acquired from the Ottawa Senators in a blockbuster trade in June and brings a career total of 463 points - 213 goals and 250 assists - along with 1,921 hits across 572 NHL games. Despite suiting up for just five periods of preseason play before the injury, he led the Panthers with five points, posting three goals and two assists.
“Good to go,” Maurice said of Tkachuk’s status.
Tkachuk will open the season on Florida’s top line alongside captain Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart, and has also secured a spot on the top power-play unit, where he will share the ice with his older brother, Matthew Tkachuk.
Barkov said the transition has been seamless. “He knows his role right away,” the captain said. “He knows he needs to be fast. He knows he needs to stay on the pucks, like control the pucks and that kind of stuff. He was unbelievable for those two games, so I’m really happy to get him back into the lineup.”
Tkachuk’s physical presence adds a dimension the Panthers have been building around. He has recorded the ninth-most hits in the NHL over the past three seasons with 684.
Fans looking to watch the opener together can attend the official watch party at Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET. Puck drop at Lenovo Center is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.