Florida Panthers news from Washington ahead of matchup vs Capitals

Tom Gulitti reported Saturday morning that Tkachuk joined an extras skate at the Capitals rink, a small but real step after adductor and sports hernia surgery.

Tkachuk, 28, was the sixth overall pick by the Calgary Flames in 2016, and his game is built on contact, deflections, and chaos around the crease.

An extras skate is not a return, but it usually means the rehab work is shifting from controlled drills to more hockey movement, especially when the team is on the road.

Panthers fans can feel the lineup squeezing tighter lately, because Florida's edge and net-front bite changes fast without Tkachuk pushing defenders back.

Gulitti also noted Noah Gregor, Jack Studnicka, Tobias Bjornfot, and goalie Daniil Tarasov were out there too, while Marchand did not skate with an undisclosed issue.

It has not been announced who will start in goal, but all signs point toward Daniil Tarasov getting the nod, with Sergei Bobrovsky likely needing the rest.

After the workload Bobrovsky has carried lately, this feels like a spot to manage minutes while trusting the group in front to tighten things up defensively.

Florida's bigger picture is simple, the Panthers are 24-18-3, and they need points now while they wait on the difference-makers to filter back into the lineup.

If Tkachuk keeps stacking skates like this, the next milestones worth watching are the first full practice and the first game he finishes with his usual pace, because that's when the Panthers start to look like themselves again.

They also have to rebound quickly after yesterday's heavy loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, resetting mentally and emotionally to avoid any hangover.

Being sharp from the opening faceoff tonight against the Washington Capitals will be as much about mindset as execution.