Panthers forward Anton Lundell speaks after practice on June 4. The Florida Panthers took another big step toward keeping its championship core intact on Wednesday. Florida has agreed to terms with young Finnish center Anton Lundell on a six-year deal, keeping him with the Panthers through the end of the decade. The contract reportedly comes with an average annual value (AAV) of $5 million, which may seem like a bargain by the time Lundell is due a new deal. “Anton has matured into a dependable multirole center for our club, who seized his opportunity from his first day in North America,” Panthers General Manager Bill Zito said in a statement released by the team. “His commitment to improvement and cerebral approach to the game earned him the profound respect of his teammates and coaches, and we are excited to see him continue to grow and succeed with the Panthers.” Lundell’s play really seemed to turn a corner last season, and it was clear from training camp that year three in the NHL could be a strong one. The 22-year-old hit another gear during the regular season when asked to fill in for an injured Sasha Barkov on Florida’s top line. Lundell responded with his best stretch of play to that point of the season, and continued to perform at a high level straight through the Stanley Cup Final, He actually led all Panthers with five assists during the championship series. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] Overall during the playoffs, Lundell accumulated 17 points, which tied him for second-most on the team, and was a plus-8, second only to Gus Forsling’s plus-9 in the plus/minus department. Lundell now joins a core group of Panthers that are locked up for the foreseeable future. He, Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart and Gus Forsling are all signed at least through 2030. Eetu Luostarinen and Evan Rodrigues each have three years left on their deals and Nikko Mikkola has two, as do goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight. There have also been talks of extensions for Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett, both of whom are entering the final years of their respective contracts. Zito has done an excellent job setting his team up for success. It should be fun to watch Lundell continue to grow and presumably flourish in South Florida. Between the coaching staff and teammates he’s surrounded by, there is no reason to suspect otherwise. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA A.J. Greer sounds like latest Panthers signing in long line of good fits [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/a-j-greer-sounds-like-latest-panthers-signing-in-long-line-of-good-fits] Panthers to sign defenseman Nate Schmidt following Winnipeg buyout [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-to-sign-defenseman-nate-schmidt-following-winnipeg-buyout] Florida Panthers change TV partners, will air games for free starting this season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-panthers-change-tv-partners-will-air-games-for-free-starting-this-season] Florida Panthers full 2024-25 schedule released, and it's a doozy [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-panthers-full-2024-25-schedule-released-and-its-a-doozy] Details of $69M Sam Reinhart contract indicate how taking less to stay with Florida still worked out nicely [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/details-of-69m-sam-reinhart-contract-indicate-how-taking-less-to-stay-with-florida-still-worked-out-nicely] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
