FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Matthew Tkachuk skated Monday for the first time since the Florida Panthers forward sustained a lower-body injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off last month.
Tkachuk, who was on the ice for about 45 minutes, has missed the past 16 games and is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season.
Florida (44-26-3) has nine games remaining before the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It plays its regular-season finale April 15 at the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"He was, basically, just out there touching pucks today," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. "There was no conditioning component to it because we're just not there yet.
"He will probably just get out on the ice to move some pucks around for the next couple of days, perhaps a week or so. Then, hopefully, we will get to a point where he can start driving."
Tkachuk was injured while playing for the United States during a 3-1 win against Canada on Feb. 15. He did not play in the third game of the best-on-best tournament but returned for the championship. Tkachuk was limited to 6:47 and did not play in the third period or overtime in a 2-1 loss to Canada.
Florida placed Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve March 2. The team has said it hopes Tkachuk will be healthy once the postseason begins.
Tkachuk has 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 52 games. He scored in six straight games leading into the 4 Nations Face-Off, which was held from Feb. 12-20.
"It's huge, at this time of the year, that you can hopefully see the light at the end of the tunnel," Panthers forward Sam Reinhart said of Tkachuk being back on the ice. "Getting someone like that back in the lineup is a positive thing.
"I'm not sure how he felt, but it certainly sounds like a step in the right direction that he's out there."
Maurice said Monday that Tkachuk will need some "significant skates" to get game ready and that "we're still a ways away from that."
As far as when Tkachuk could be ready, Maurice said the start of the Eastern Conference First Round "is what we're shooting for," depending on "when those games get scheduled. That may have an impact on it."
Tkachuk will travel with the Panthers for the start of a four-game road trip that begins at the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, SCRIPPS).
The 27-year-old has 636 points (240 goals, 396 assists) in 642 regular-season games with the Panthers and Calgary Flames, and 61 points (24 goals, 37 assists) in 71 playoff games.
Tkachuk had 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) in 24 playoff games last season, helping Florida win the Stanley Cup for the first time.
"You can't stay in game shape unless you are playing games," Maurice said. "It's game sharpness more than conditioning. We can do a bunch of stuff off the ice. His [cardio levels] may be better when he comes back, but it is a sharpness thing. You need to get into games to do that.
"This guy has a lot of games under his belt, and guys who have played for a while make minor adjustments in their game to buy themselves some time until they get that right timing."
Maurice said injured defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (upper body) would also travel on the road trip and resume skating this week.
Kulikov, who was injured March 16 and has missed five games, will not play during the trip. Maurice has said the Panthers hope Kulikov will return by the final week of the regular season.
