Dealing with a lower-body injury, Tkachuk has been ailing since the second game of the 4 Nations Face-Off when he missed the final 12:36 of a 3-1 win for Team USA over Canada. After having to sit out the final game of the round robin, Tkachuk took the ice for just 6:47 in a 3-2 overtime loss to Canada in the championship game on Feb. 20.

Seth Jones impressed his Florida Panthers teammates in his debut Monday night, but it’s anyone’s guess when Matthew Tkachuk will be sharing the ice with his newest teammate.

The most interesting development about Tkachuk’s placement on LTIR is that it frees up $9.5 million in cap space, setting up the Panthers to make additions ahead of Friday’s trade deadline, exploiting a widely-known NHL salary-cap loophole.

The Florida Panthers added defense to bolster their repeat of a Stanley Cup win. Now the question with Matthew Tkachuk put on injured reserve is whether they have another move coming.

Matthew Tkachuk hasn’t played since sustaining what is believed to be a groin injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers confirmed Monday, a few hours before Jones’ debut with the team, that Tkachuk is on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury. That means Tkachuk won’t be back for a few weeks — and possibly not until the postseason.

Veteran defenseman Seth Jones impressed his Florida Panthers teammates in his debut Monday night, a 2-1 victory over their in-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning in which he played just under 23 minutes and nearly scored a goal for the Stanley Cup champions.