Florida Panthers called out once again for possibly exploiting NHL rule book

Over the past years, many teams were criticized for their use of the Long Term Injury Reserve ahead of the trade deadline and entering the playoffs.

Playing a player on the LTIR would allow teams to make more additions at the trade deadline, and when the playoffs begin, reactivate the injured player, when teams can go over the cap space.

This loophole was used by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, and Florida Panthers, nearly all of the most recent Stanley Cup champions.

Last year, the Panthers placed Matthew Tkachuk on the LTIR and used the cap space to make massive additions: Brad Marchand and Seth Jones.

Now, it appears the team could be ready to do it all over again as they look to win a third straight Cup.

Matthew Tkachuk got injured during the 4-Nations Face-Off and was forced to miss the rest of the season. He ended up returning to the lineup in the playoffs.

Now, he's expected to miss several months at the start of the season and return in 2026, in time for the Olympics.

But if Tkachuk is healthy after the Olympics, the Panthers won't be able to place him on the LTIR to use that loophole.

That matter will be interesting to follow this year. Going to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals is hard on the bodies, and going all the way for a third straight year won't be easy.