Brady Tkachuk didn't wait long to remind everyone why the Florida Panthers wanted him.
Tkachuk dropped the gloves with Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Charles-Alexis Legault during a preseason matchup Sunday.
That's exactly the identity Florida traded for this summer, physical, combative, and willing to answer the bell in a meaningless exhibition game.
Tkachuk posted 59 points in 60 games with Ottawa last season before the trade brought him to Florida, adding 22 goals and a plus-4 rating.
Legault posted just 2 points in 12 games last season for Carolina, a depth defenseman whose willingness to drop the gloves against a name like Tkachuk says plenty about his own fight for a roster spot.
Carolina finished second overall this season, meaning even a fringe player like Legault is fighting an uphill battle just to crack that deep a lineup.
Florida finished 40-38-4 last season, 25th overall, a disappointing number for a roster this talented, and health, not toughness, was the bigger issue last year.
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Why this fight matters beyond the preseason box score
Head coach Paul Maurice has talked about needing his roster to stay available and physically sound this season more than needing extra edge, and Tkachuk brings both in one package.
Pairing Tkachuk with his brother Matthew, who posted 34 points in just 31 games last season, gives Florida a combination of nastiness that few teams in the league can match when both are healthy.
Carolina's own depth players like Legault understand exactly what's at stake in these preseason tilts, fighting for a job against a team that just won it all two seasons running.
Preseason fights rarely mean anything for the standings. But moments like this one shape how quickly a new player like Tkachuk earns trust in a new room.
Does Brady Tkachuk's physical identity make the Panthers a scarier team this season?
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