Matthew Tkachuk's Injury is Reportedly Way Worse Than Imagined, Maple Leafs Benefit

Matthew Tkachuk is one of the best players in the NHL, however, he got injured at the 4 Nations Face-Off and this is not good for the Florida Panthers.

He did not play last night and now there are all sorts of fears concerning how long the forward is going to be out for.

According to some reports out there, it is believed that Tkachuk could very well be done for the entire NHL season.

While he may be able to return for the playoffs, there is this sense that he may just be done for the year and that it is going to be tough for him to rehab in time.

Of course, this is not confirmed, although rumblings from Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports point us into this direction.

The Toronto Maple Leafs came into last night's NHL slate down three points on the Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division, however, they had two games in hand.

In the end, the Leafs won and the Panthers lost, making the lead just one point, while the Leafs retain their two games in hand.

With Tkachuk potentially out for the entire rest of the season, the Maple Leafs have a clear advantage as it pertains to securing the first seed in the Atlantic Division.

This would allow the team to get a better draw in the playoffs, which would then allow a potential deep run in the postseason.

Only time will tell what the truth about Tkachuk is, however, for now, things are just not looking up.