The Florida Panthers completed a blockbuster deal for Brady Tkachuk and plan to trade for a goaltender, but one thing remains true: they have no plans to include Anton Lundell in any trade.

Lundell has often been nicknamed “Baby Barkov” due to his similarities to Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov. They are both left-handed Finnish centers whose games are built on their two-way prowess. Although Barkov is likely a tier of two higher than Lundell, at just 24 years old, Lundell has become a high-end defensive forward.

The Panthers are still waiting for a bit more offense from Lundell, but the organization firmly believes it’s coming, and it’s why they won’t include him in any trades. When Barkov was out this season, Lundell stepped up to play a larger role and take on new challenges.

He passed with flying colors, and if it weren’t for injuries, he would have set career highs in goals and points. But maybe more importantly, the Panthers were pleased with the level of maturity he showed, as coach Paul Maurice said during the season that Lundell is a future captain of the organization. 

“He has just been forced into growth,” Maurice started. “He’s a special player. He’s eventually going to be the captain of this team. He’s been under tremendous pressure, higher minutes than he’s ever played against better competition than he’s ever had to play, and he just continues to excel.”

With the Panthers’ lineup healthy again, Lundell will slide back into the third-line role. Barkov will take on the tough matchups, while Lundell will provide insurance and match up against the opponent’s next-best line. Lundell being able to do that opens up the second line of Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, and possibly Brady Tkachuk to take advantage of easier matchups. 

Although moving Lundell in a trade, say for Connor Hellebuyck, would solidify the crease for the Panthers, they aren’t willing to do so because they believe that once the team is forced to retool or rebuild, Lundell will be the player who leads them back to glory. 

Lundell’s effect on the Panthers can’t be quantified by goals and assists. He’s just so much more than that. Lundell is used in serious defensive situations, is asked to kill penalties, contribute on the power play, and win high-leverage faceoffs. 

On the surface, Lundell is an 18-goal, 45-point third-line center, but he is far more valuable to the Panthers than that label. 

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