Anton Lundell once again stepped up when the Florida Panthers needed it most. After the game, Panthers coach Paul Maurice had high praise for Lundell, naming him a future captain of the organization.
The Florida Panthers welcomed back Anton Lundell to their lineup last night against the Boston Bruins, and the Finnish center did what he’s done all season long.
There’s been no shortage of compliments handed out to Lundell this season. When Aleksander Barkov went down with a torn ACL and MCL, Lundell spoke to the media about the injury, giving the right answer for each question.
In short, he spoke about how important Barkov is as a player and a leader, and how it’s up to him and his teammates to step up for the organization in its time of need.
With 26 games remaining on the schedule, the Panthers are in serious trouble of missing the playoffs. While blame can be shared equally, one player who’s done everything he can to step up and keep the Panthers afloat is Lundell.
The 24-year-old has scored 16 goals and 39 points in 53 games, currently just a goal and six points back of his career highs. He’s increased his offensive production while maintaining his attentiveness to the defensive side of the puck. Aside from Sam Reinhart, no Panthers player averages more ice time. Lundell is frequently used at 5-on-5 in both offensive and defensive situations, as well as on the penalty kill and power play.
In Lundell’s return to the lineup against the Bruins, he recorded a goal and two assists in 24:18 of ice time. He was dominant and showed his versatility throughout the night. His two assists game on the power play, and his goal came while short-handed. He didn’t add any even-strength points, but he did score one of the Panthers’ two goals in the shootout.
Anton Lundell leads all Florida Panthers players in defensive zone starts (126) and ranks seventh in offensive zone starts (117) at 5-on-5 this season. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)As great as his game was, the best compliment Lundell may have received came from coach Paul Maurice about his leadership.
“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.”
When the Panthers selected Lundell with the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft, the immediate comparisons were to Barkov, who was dubbed “Baby Barkov.” While the stylistic comparisons and the fact that they are both Finnish were valid, it’s a lot of pressure to put on a player. Barkov is seemingly on track to earn a spot in the NHL Hall of Fame if he hasn’t already earned a spot.
While Lundell may never reach those heights, he’s never succumbed to the pressure and continues to improve.
Calling Lundell a future captain of a Stanley Cup-winning team with a boatload of experienced veterans is a bold statement, and something that could frighten a young player. But Lundell’s a mentally tough player, and he’ll use Maurice’s words to continue to improve, rather than falter.
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