Matthew Tkachuk’s return imminent after being cleared

The Florida Panthers are just out of the playoff picture, but could soon get a key boost. Matthew Tkachuk recently returned to trainingbut he was wearing a non-contact jersey. It is now being reported that Tkachuk has taken another step towards making his season debut as he has been cleared for contact.

Tkachuk participated in morning skating ahead of Tuesday morning’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a regular jersey, according to Florida Panthers reporter Jameson Olive.

“We’re not in full contact with him. … The next box to check is he’s got to be able to lean on it, push himself, recover for a day or so, let’s see how he gets back on the ice,” head coach Paul Morris he told the media about the star striker, according to Olive.

It was the first time Tkachuk was out of a non-contact jersey since returning to practice just over a week ago. He was injured during the 4-Nations meeting last year, but worked through the injury to help lead the Panthers to their second straight Stanley Cup win. He tried to rehabilitate a torn adductor and sports hernia injury, but ended up having surgery.

Teammates were happy to have their star back on the ice, pushing him between practices. More players too shared their excitement with Olive on the decline of the contactless jersey.

“It’s great to see him buzzing around and getting involved. We’re really looking forward to coming back soon,” said Sam Bennett. He added, with a smile, when asked how hard they were making contact: “Not too much yet. We’ll let him get comfortable.”

“It just means you have to keep your head up. He’s going to be looking for a hit in practice. It’s been a while for him. I think he’s itching. It’s fun to have him out there. He’s so energetic and tenacious out there,” Brad Marchand commented on his personal excitement.

There is hope that Tkachuk will could return before the end of the team’s tripper Pierre Lebrun of TSN and the Athletics.

Florida will be thrilled to have Tkachuk back; The Panthers are 22-16-3 which is fourth in the Atlantic Division and just two points out of a playoff spot. The first contest of the six-game road trip is Tuesday night against the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. They also face Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, which should make for an exciting return.