Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers are built old, and Monday's numbers put a real figure on it.
A leaguewide age breakdown made the rounds this morning, and Florida landed second overall at 30.9 years old. Only the Kings sit older.
That's not a fluke. That's the roster Bill Zito built on purpose, and Paul Maurice has been steering it for four seasons now.
Brad Marchand is 38. Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe are all 30. Jacob Markstrom is 36.
And right in the middle of it are the two Tkachuks, both wearing Panthers colors, both still setting the tone physically and offensively.
Matthew Tkachuk has played just 31 games this season but already has 34 points, with 13 goals and 21 assists. Over his last 10 games, he's put up 11 points.
Brady Tkachuk has been the workhorse. Sixty games played, 22 goals, 37 assists, 59 points, and he chipped in eight points over his last 10.
The Tkachuk brothers cost Florida nearly 18 million combined
Between them, Matthew Tkachuk's $9,500,000 cap hit and Brady Tkachuk's $8,205,714 add up to $17,705,714 against the cap. That's a heavy number for two players, no matter how good they are.
Florida finished the year 40-38-4 for 84 points, ranked 25th overall with a goal differential of -25. Not exactly the resume of a powerhouse.
They did close things out on a high note, winning three straight and beating Detroit 8-1 in their final game of the season.
Here's the question nobody wants to ask out loud. How many more good years does a core like this actually have left?
Because this isn't a young team quietly building. This is a veteran group already past 30 in most key spots, paying big money for term that only gets harder to justify as the mileage piles up.
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Think of it like a classic muscle car. It still roars down the straightaway, but the repair bills start climbing fast once something under the hood finally gives.
Florida's front office has bet heavily on this group staying dangerous a little longer. Whether that bet ages well is the story nobody in South Florida wants to think about yet.
Are the Panthers too old to stay real Stanley Cup contenders?
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Tkachuk brothers quickly erupt in hot water with the Florida Panthers team
