OTTAWA, ON - NOVEMBER 19: Florida Panthers Center Vincent Trocheck (21) waits for a face-off during first period National Hockey League action between the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators on November 19, 2018, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Florida Panthers are getting center Vincent Trocheck back from a broken ankle sooner than expected. However, rushing him back is a huge mistake.

To say the Florida Panthers 2018-19 season has been a disappointment is an understatement. After nearly making the postseason last year, many expected them to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season as a wild card team. Despite entering Jan. 18 14 points out of a playoff spot, the Panthers season is far from over. They’ll be getting second-line center Vincent Trocheck back against the Toronto Maple Leafs on the 18th.

He’s been out since Nov. 19 with a broken ankle. The Panthers were expecting to get him back around late January. However, Trocheck pushed his way back into the lineup a few weeks earlier than anticipated.

This doesn’t excuse the Panthers from likely rushing their second-line center back into action. Because at this point, why would you rush someone back from a significant ankle injury? Especially someone so critical to your franchise?

Trocheck is someone Florida can’t afford to lose long-term. Is his ankle healthy? The Panthers sure as heck better hope it’s fully healed. Because, speaking from experience, if you hurt your ankle when it’s not fully healthy, it can bother you for a very long time.

The Panthers are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak, during which they’ve only picked up two points due to post-regulation losses. For all intents and purposes, their season is dead. Accept it and move on.

Now, it’s worth noting the Panthers were in a similar situation at the All-Star break last season with a 19-22-26 record. They were 12 points out of the second wild-card spot. After the All-Star Break, the Panthers went on an extremely impressive run, picking up 52 points over their last 35 games.

However, Florida shouldn’t expect lightning to hit the same place twice. Especially not in consecutive years. A huge reason for their impressive second-half was their goaltending. Their .933 save percentage as a team was the best in the NHL after the All-Star break. And that still wasn’t enough to get them into the postseason.

The Panthers haven’t gotten anything close to that this season, as their .890 team save percentage is among the worst in the NHL. Aside from some excitement among fans, what did they really gain from that second-half run? A worse draft pick?

Making the playoffs would not be a good thing for the Panthers. It would likely mislead them into thinking they’re on the right path when it’s painfully clear they aren’t. Rushing back a key player is proof enough of that. Everyone involved in the decision should be held accountable.

And let’s be fair to Trocheck. He’s doing what any competitive athlete would do. Trocheck doesn’t get paid to rehab. He gets paid to play hockey at the highest level. Athletes have proven to be terrible judges of what’s best for them and their bodies. Trocheck wanting to return as soon as possible isn’t a bad thing. The team allowing him to come back and potentially injure himself again is a bad thing.

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For the Panthers sake, Trocheck better be fully recovered from his broken ankle. Because if he isn’t, head coach Bob Boughner and general manager Dale Tallon are going to come out of this looking like a bunch of fools.