Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk looks on after scoring against the Ottawa Senators. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

After landing Seth Jones in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, the Florida Panthers freed up further cap space by placing star forward Matthew Tkachuk on long term injured reserve.

Tkachuk suffered a groin injury while representing the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off and has not played in a game since returning to the Panthers. He played limited minutes in Team USA's 3-2 loss to Canada in the final.

After placing Tkachuk on LTIR, Florida now boasts $8.7 million in cap space with the trade deadline looming. If Tkachuk doesn't return this season, or until the playoffs, the Panthers would be able to take his $9.5 million salary off the books and take on a significant contract at the deadline as they look to contend for their second straight Stanley Cup title.

Tkachuk has recorded 57 points in 52 games this season, scoring 22 goals and dishing out 35 assists. Florida sits in first in the Atlantic Division with 77 points in 61 games played.