WE’LL SEE YOU NEXT YEAR

After the Florida Panthers won the 2024 Stanley Cup, Matthew Tkachuk told several Edmonton Oilers in the handshake line, “We’ll see you in the Finals next year.” It wasn’t bragging, either, Tkachuk noted. “I think we’re the two best teams in the League. And if everything would go right, it would probably be us two again in the Finals.” Getting back to the 2025 Final was a personal struggle for Tkachuk as he was injured in the 4 Nations Face-Off and missed the second half of the season. Chucky returned for the playoffs and while his goal scoring was down a bit, that was never his whole game. Linemate Sam Bennett said, “He’s a guy that doesn’t need to score to be effective. He’s doing everything on the ice for this team, and when he scores, it’s just an added bonus.”