Brady Tkachuk has no points in four games with the Panthers, and when asked about Matt Boldy's slow start, he laughed and pointed right back at himself.
"He's not the only one," Tkachuk told The Athletic. "I mean, I probably could speak on that, too."
That's the kind of honesty you'd expect from a player whose game is built on energy and edge. He didn't dodge the question for a second.
"Everything's magnified at the start," he said. "Once one goes in, then the ball starts rolling."
The 27-year-old carries an $8,208,714 cap hit and sits at -2. For a player brought in to add bite and production, the zeros stand out.
His brother Matthew has been producing, with two goals, a game-winner and three points. That gives Brady a close-up look at what it feels like once the puck starts going in.
Matt Boldy and Brady Tkachuk share the same early drought
Boldy, his U.S. Olympic teammate, is in the same spot with the Wild. He's coming off career highs of 42 goals and 85 points, but has no points in four games.
He does have 19 shots, and John Hynes put him with Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek to spark something. "It's not going in for them," Hynes said.
The two meet Saturday in Florida, with the Panthers sitting at 2-0-2 and the Wild at 2-1-1. Something has to give.
Tkachuk is right not to panic. His value has never lived only on the scoresheet, and a player who brings that much energy will find the net once the bounces turn.
He's like a new chef whose first few dishes come out cold. The talent didn't disappear, the kitchen is just still new.
Florida needs him more than ever. Aleksander Barkov is out until at least late November, and Brad Marchand is day-to-day with a leg injury.
Tkachuk said the ball starts rolling once one goes in. With Barkov out for weeks, the Panthers need that first goal sooner rather than later.
Will Brady Tkachuk break out of his slump against the Wild?
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