Brad Marchand endowed the 'rat king' title by $76,000,000 Panthers superstar

Brad Marchand seems to have already cemented himself as one of the most beloved players in the Florida Panthers' locker room just two months after being acquired in a shocking trade on deadline day from the Boston Bruins.

Fans are still waiting to see whether he'll form a potential line with longtime rivals Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk in what would be a nightmare for opponents to handle in the playoffs.

Tkachuk, who is in the third season of an eight-year, $76,000,000 contract signed with the Panthers back in 2022, was asked about Marchand on the "Up & Adams Show". He provided a funny response.

"That is not me coming up with at all. But I think it's kind of funny. We have, we have a bigger rat on my team in Marchand now, so he could take over that title," Tkachuk said.

He was then asked if they could have two rats on one team.

"What made our team successful last year is we had about 15 rats on the team. So I think that it's good and okay to have more than one," Tkachuk added.

Matthew Tkachuk has been out of action since the 4 Nations Face-Off with a groin injury, though he is expected to return for the start of the playoffs. The superstar winger was having another productive season with 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in just 52 games prior to the ailment.

Brad Marchand and the Panthers are set to face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round One

Brad Marchand and the Florida Panthers will begin their Stanley Cup Playoffs journey against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It will be another edition of the Battle of Florida. The two teams faced off in the first round of the 2023-24 postseason, which the Panthers won 4-1 on their way to lifting the Stanley Cup. The biggest difference this time around will be Brad Marchand entering the mix.

After a slow start to his Panthers tenure, the 36-year-old has picked it up of late and has four points (two goals, two assists) in 10 games. He'll look to continue that and bring his experience to the table in what should be a tight series against Tampa Bay.

The playoff schedule has yet to be released, as the Lightning still have one more game remaining on Thursday night in New York against the Rangers.