MAKING ENEMIES IS GOOD
New Panther Matthew Tkachuk is doing what he does best in Florida … and the hobby should take notice.
Shortly a er the offseason blockbuster trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk from Calgary to the Florida Panthers, a scout was asked what sort of impact the pesky power forward might have on his new conference.
“Give it to the end of October,” he laughed, “and Chucky’s going to be the most hated player in the East.”
Ask fans in Boston, Buffalo, and Tampa and they’ll tell you it didn’t take that long. One game was all they needed to designate Tkachuk as the league’s top super-villain. Take a look at his questionable hit on Henri Jokiharju of the Sabres or the late punch he threw at Patrice Bergeron that had Bruins fans calling for the team to sign a goon ahead of their next meeting.
Making enemies is central to what makes Tkachuk such a unique figure in the game. e 24-year-old power forward spent the first six seasons of his career irritating Western Conference foes, racking up the most penalty minutes to date for a member of the dra class of 2016 despite rarely dropping the gloves – a point of contention for many of his opponents.
But he’s more than just an irritant, as he proved last season when he put up 42 goals and 104 points, good for eighth in the NHL scoring race. He entered the 2022-23 season second in points for his dra class, behind only Auston Matthews, and fourth in goals.
“He can beat you so many ways,” the scout said. “He’s a great shooter, a creative and underrated playmaker, and he’s absolutely miserable to play against. He gives Florida a whole new look.” While his arrival gives the Cup-contending Panthers an abrasive makeover, it also brings his cards into a new light. South Florida isn’t exactly a hockey hobby hotbed, but a steady diet of opponents from big Eastern markets is sure to enhance his visibility beyond what he enjoyed in Calgary, where his highlight moments occurred a er many on the East Coast had shut down for the night. And while his style means he’s not going to be every collector’s favorite pull, he could cultivate a small but fanatical following much the way Boston’s Brad Marchand has.
Garrett Morrison counts himself among the new converts
“I was aware of him but he wasn’t someone I paid a lot of attention to because he was out west,” the Miamibased collector said. “Seeing him in person though changed everything. I mean, what a unit. He’s absolutely unstoppable. We’ve got some great players here (in Florida) but I’ve never seen anyone like him.
“He’s my top priority PC now.”
To Morrison’s surprise, focusing on Tkachuk has been an affordable pursuit.
“His (2016-17) RCs seem seriously undervalued compared to others in his rookie class,” he said. “It’s understandable that he would trail behind Matthews and (Mitch) Marner, but it’s surprising to see how cheap his cards are.
“I guess I can’t complain, though,” he added. “It just means I can buy more of what I want.”
It’s likely he won’t be alone in his pursuit, especially if the Panthers follow up their 2022 Presidents’ Trophy with an extended playoff run that would focus the entire hobby’s attention on his unique skill set. Expectations are high that both the player and the team are in for monster seasons.
Morrison won’t mind if more collectors join him in his pursuit of Tkachuk’s cards (he’s closing in on 100 already), but he has a little advice to offer.
“Watch him for a few games and you’ll become a believer,” he said. “But you might not want to watch when he’s playing your team.”