Head coach Paul Maurice said Monday that he assumes Tkachuk (illness) will return to the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Wild, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.
Tkachuk has missed the last five games due to an illness, but the team has remained hopeful that he'd be back in action against Minnesota. He's slated to meet his return timetable, which will provide a significant boost to the Panthers. Over his first two appearances of the season, Tkachuk recorded two assists, seven shots on goal and a plus-2 rating.