Paul Maurice reveals his plan for Matthew Tkachuk's return vs Sharks

There's a different kind of electricity in Sunrise when No. 19 is in the mix again. Monday marks Matthew Tkachuk's first game of the season, finally clearing the long rehab after August surgery to repair a sports hernia and torn adductor.

Paul Maurice tipped his hand on the plan, and it's smarter than it sounds. Tkachuk is expected to start on the third line with Evan Rodrigues and Mackie Samoskevich, with the clear goal of keeping his ice time managed early.

Maurice made it clear that Matthew Tkachuk isn't being penciled in for a 20-minute night right out of the gate.

After months away from game action, the plan is to respect how demanding the first game back can be on the body, especially for a player who lives in traffic.

If Tkachuk does push toward that mark, it likely means the Florida Panthers are drawing a lot of power plays, not that his five-on-five load is being stretched.

The same reporting has him jumping right back onto the top power play unit, which is where his hands and instincts can change a game even if his legs need a shift or two.

The idea is impact over exhaustion, letting Tkachuk find his rhythm without asking him to win a marathon on night one.

That doesn't mean «quiet» minutes, it means controlled chaos.

You can shelter the workload without sheltering the attitude, especially when Tkachuk's bread and butter is net-front screens, puck battles, and drawing the other team into bad decisions.

The same reporting has him jumping right back onto the top power play unit, which is where his hands and instincts can change a game even if his legs need a shift or two.

As a fan, I'm already bracing for the first whistle after his first crease battle, because that's usually when the building realizes it can exhale.

The matchup makes the deployment choice even more interesting.

San Jose comes in much improved, and Florida's projected lines show they can keep the Bennett line intact while easing Tkachuk in behind it, which keeps the bench rolling instead of shortening early.

And the stakes are real for Florida right now.

Maurice called the lift obvious, and Florida Hockey Now noted the Panthers sit four points out of a playoff spot, which makes every point feel like a small emergency.

The best part is that Tkachuk is rejoining a group that learned how to survive without him.

If the minutes are managed and the edge is the same, tonight can be the start of Florida flipping from survival hockey back into something meaner.

Matthew Tkachuk is easing back into game mode with a little extra motivation on the side.

After making his season debut tonight, Tkachuk said he plans to be in attendance cheering on the Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship, joking that he does not have a helicopter lined up, but does have a very fast driver.

He even put a score on it, predicting a tight 24-21 win for the Canes, which feels on brand for a player who rarely does anything without a little edge or confidence.