First look at Matthew Tkachuk after major surgery this summer.

We learned this week that the Florida Panthers would be without the services of star forward Matthew Tkachuk, at least for the first few months of the upcoming 2025-26 regular season, and now we have gotten our first look at Tkachuk following the surgery that has sidelined him for so long.

A photograph from Dmitry Kulikov's day with the cup has gone viral on social media, showing the veteran Panthers defenseman celebrating the day with his loved ones. In the photo we can also see NHL star Vladimir Tarasenko celebrating the big moment alongside Kulikov, as well as the aforementioned Tkachuk.

Tkachuk appears to be pretty banged up in the photo and is supported by a pair of crutches, as well as what appears to be a hip brace around his body. It's a little hard to tell because of Tkachuk's dark colored shorts, but it appears to be a brace that extends down the side of his leg as well.

That being said the fact that Tkachuk has already gone under the knife and made the decision to undergo his surgery is a good sign for the Panthers and their fans, as it indicates he is already well on his way towards a path to making his recovery.

Tkachuk was an extremely important part of the Panthers' last two runs to a Stanley Cup championship, but was extremely limited this season after suffering the injuries that led to this surgery during the Four Nations Face-Off. As a result Tkachuk was limited to just 52 games last season, scoring 22 goals and 35 assists for a total of 57 points.

Unfortunately he appears destined to miss quite a few games once again this season.