Lundell plans to put in work during the offseason, says he can be stronger and faster
Anton Lundell played some of his best hockey at a time when many of his teammates struggled to perform at a high level.
That’ll happen when the season goes a couple months longer than usual.
It was during the Stanley Cup Final that Lundell was more noticeable and reliable than he’d shown for much of the Florida Panthers playoff run.
Not to say that he had been playing poorly. Far from it.
Lundell’s line with Eetu Luostarinen and Sam Reinhart was incredibly consistent in terms of two-way reliability, but as injuries began to hamper the team, needs and line combinations changed.
Moving up to the top line and playing on Sasha Barkov’s wing was the freeing element needed to open up another level of Lundell’s game.
It was the culmination of a process in which Lundell had been encouraged by Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice and his staff to add a new dimension to his on-ice repertoire.
“I think I was able to improve, and Paul (Maurice) and the coaching crew was helping me a lot, to find the next level in my game, find the physical side, which I didn't really know I had because I was playing in Europe in a big rink, you don't need to be that physical,” Lundell said. “You always are in the right place with your position, and here, you have to to be able to play more physical to be even better on the ice, and I feel like I improved that and it helped my all-around game as well.”
Like many of his teammates, Lundell learned that playing a certain way was perhaps a bit harder and more physically demanding, but it breeds winning hockey.
Having a better understanding of how he wants to perform in Maurice’s system will help Lundell zero in on which areas of his game he wants to work on during the offseason.
“I think I have a lot to improve on,” said Lundell. “I can be stronger, I could be faster. There's a lot of things I want to want to be better at.”
The experience of going on a long playoff run can have a profound impact on a young player.
For Lundell, it a firsthand look at a group of men who gave every inch of themselves, playing through painful injuries while trying to carry one another to the ultimate mountaintop.
“I knew guys were playing with a lot of injuries, so that just made me want to step up even more. I wanted to be the difference maker, trying to try to be a force for the team, and I just wanted to be the key player for the team and help the team as much as I can,” Lundell said.
Heading into the offseason, it’s quite the lasting memory to have at the front of a young player’s mind.
Lundell will be entering his third NHL season in October.
Could there be a breakout year ahead for the guy they call Baby Barkov?
He sure seems ready to put the work in.
“I’m just trying to work on a bit of everything and prepare myself good during the summer, so I'm ready for next season when I come to the training camp,” Lundell said.