Tkachuk is coming off a Stanley Cup-winning season with the Panthers - posting 22 goals and 35 assists in 57 games.
The 27-year-old missed time last season after being sidelined with a torn adductor muscle and a sports hernia, both of which he sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off. He was sidelined for nine weeks before returning to the team's lineup for their Stanley Cup run.
However, Team USA expects Tkachuk to be ready to go in February 2026 for the Winter Olympics - the first time hockey will be played during the special event since 2014 in Sochi.
"He called me and just kind of told me what was going on," said Team USA general manager Bill Guerin. "It wouldn't be great for him to get on a plane and fly right now. He didn't have to be here. He was upbeat. He's always upbeat."
Tkachuk was selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames - where he spent the first six years of his career.
He made his league debut at 19 years old during the 2016-2017 season, when he posted 13 goals and 35 assists in 76 games. After his time with Calgary, the team traded him to the Florida Panthers in the blockbuster trade that sent Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, and others to the Flames.
Tkachuk has 240 goals and 396 assists in 640 games over the course of his nine-year career. The Arizona native still has five years left on his eight-year, $76 million deal with a $9.5 million AAV and will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2029-2030 season.
Florida's season starts on October 7th against the Chicago Blackhawks.