Panthers star compared to two Buccaneers players ahead of NHL playoffs

We are fully in the football offseason here in professional football, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting ready for yet another draft, with the 2025 version set to kick off from Green Bay, Wisconsin, in a week.

While football is still the most popular sport in America, the MLB season has just gotten underway, and the NBA and NHL playoffs are set to begin here in the coming days.

Tampa Bay has the luxury of having plenty of professional sports teams in the greater area, but much of the city's focus will be on the Stanley Cup playoffs as the Tampa Bay Lightning are set to puck drop against their in-state rivals and defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers.

The rivalry and natural hatred that goes along with it has only blossomed as of late, with both teams pretty much having control over Lord Stanley's cup the past few seasons. A first-round matchup between the two is bound to provide plenty of theatrics and fireworks.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point moves the puck past Florida Panthers left wing Jonah Gadjovich. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

One of the Panthers' best players, forward Matthew Tkachuk, has been dealing with a lower-body groin injury since the 4 Nations Face-Off a couple of months back, but he's expected to return for the playoffs.

Before getting back on the ice, Tkachuk joined Kay Adams on the Up & Adams show in which he was posed with his NFL player comparison, and to everyone in Tampa's surprise, the two players ended up being Buccaneers in quarterback Baker Mayfield and former tight end Rob Gronkowski.

"That's a great comp. I love watching Baker play football. He's nails. He's so tough and he's very talented, so that's a great comparison. But I will say when I was going through my draft, however many years ago, nine years ago, my player comp was Gronk."

Matthew Tkachuk IS Baker Mayfield?

(said in Ron Burgundy voice thank you) @UpAndAdamsShow @bakermayfield @TKACHUKycheese_ #hockey pic.twitter.com/9z5WqIoDRF
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) April 16, 2025

It's hard not to agree with both Adams and Tkachuk on this one, even with the disdain that comes with the latter. Tkachuk has become synonymous with being a gritty player who is not afraid to stick his nose in places that it doesn't belong. Having that grit and will to win games no matter what, along with the passion and love for the game, couldn't describe Baker Mayfield more to a tee.

The Gronk comparison is a bit further of a stretch, though, but seeing as though Tkachuk received this even before entering the league, it could make more sense from his early days compared to where he is now as a player.

Either way, it is kind of hilarious that a Florida Panthers player would be compared to two Tampa Bay Buccaneers with their series on the horizon against the Lightning. The Lightning will have home ice advantage in the seven-game series, with Game 1 set to begin in the coming days as Tampa looks to make a run at their fourth Stanley Cup (and Florida for their second in a row).

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2025 offseason.

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