NHL’s New Playoff Salary Cap Rules will Affect the Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers were able to play above the NHL’s salary cap during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs what with Matthew Tkachuk missing the final 25 games due to injury in which he was placed on LTIR.

That money saved allowed the Panthers to load up at the NHL Trade Deadline and acquire key players (Seth Jones, Brad Marchand) as well as quality depth (Nico Sturm, Vitek Vanecek.)

The LTIR loophole for the playoffs is going away this season — and it will affect the Panthers as much as any team in the NHL.

With Tkachuk having surgery to repair a sports hernia and his groin injury last month, the Panthers will be without his services for at least the first few months of the season.

Which, to them, is fine; the Panthers planned on that outcome, and according to PuckPedia, go into the season $4.5 million over the NHL’s $95.5 million salary cap when you count Tkachuk.

When he goes on LTIR, the Panthers should be about $5 million under.

What happens when Tkachuk comes back, however, is a mystery — at least publicly.

The Panthers, almost certainly, have a plan.