What happened: Tkachuk scored three times during the October 13 Frozen Frenzy slate. The first came off a Matthew feed for his first goal with the Panthers.

Why it matters: The outburst gives him an early foothold with his new club to open the 2026-27 regular season. Early multi-goal games help settle top-line and power-play usage.

What to watch: Watch how Panthers deploy Tkachuk in the next regular-season games after the three-goal night.