BREAKING NEWS: Florida Panthers Has Signed Two Players From………..read more.
Last week, I began my analysis of the Panthers roster to evaluate how the returning and new players integrate. The top six forwards remain unchanged for the upcoming season, with Sam Reinhart having secured his long-term extension. Despite the perception that Florida lost several key pieces, the top three offensive lines largely remain intact, with the only major departure being Tarasenko, who was acquired at the trade deadline. The fourth line will see the most significant changes due to the departures of Lomberg, Stenlund, and Cousins. Lomberg signed with Calgary, Stenlund moved to Utah, and Cousins is currently a free agent. The Panthers’ Stanley Cup win and strong team culture have made Florida an appealing destination for players, and Zito has brought in new talent to address the gaps in the roster.
Anton Lundell:
Anton Lundell is one of the most underrated bottom-six centers, but his impressive playoff performance has raised his profile. During my playoff coverage, I noted that Lundell could surprise people with his performance, and he did just that. Lundell is a key player on the second power-play unit and can step up to the second line if Sam Bennett is unavailable. His stellar season earned him a 6-year contract extension at $5 million AAV, securing his long-term future alongside other top players like Gustav Forsling, Sam Reinhart, and Aleksander Barkov. As the third-line center, Lundell typically plays with Eetu Luostarinen and alternated between Rodrigues and Tarasenko last season; this year, that spot might be filled by Mackie Samoskevich or another new player. Lundell played 78 regular-season games, recording 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points and a +19 rating. He also contributed one power-play goal, one short-handed goal, and one game-winning goal, averaging 15:22 minutes of ice time. Lundell was second on the team in faceoff win percentage at 54.9%, behind only Barkov, winning 482 faceoffs and losing 396. He ranked 10th on the team in shifts and fifth among forwards with 1630 shifts, just ahead of Carter Verhaeghe. In the playoffs, Lundell played all 24 games, scoring 3 goals and 14 assists for 17 points with a +8 rating. Although he didn’t score any power-play goals, he had three power-play assists and averaged 16:12 minutes of ice time. He maintained a strong presence in faceoffs during the postseason with a 52.5% win rate, just behind Barkov’s 55.2%, winning 160 and losing 145 faceoffs. Lundell ranked 10th overall and 5th among forwards in playoff shifts with 572. Lundell is a crafty player known for making goals from below the goal line, demonstrating great ice vision and puck handling skills similar to Barkov. His ability to execute difficult passes, such as his assist to Verhaeghe in OT of Game 2 against Tampa Bay, highlights his playmaking talent.
