A six-year, $30 million deal between Anton Lundell and the Florida Panthers guarantees that the Stanley Cup winners will have all eight of their top scorers available to defend their championship.
Restricted free agent Lundell was. In 78 games during the previous regular season, he recorded 13 goals and 22 assists for the Panthers. His performance was even better during the playoffs, as he recorded 17 points in 24 games en route to winning the Cup.
The final point he earned throughout the playoffs was an assist that led to Carter Verhaeghe’s first goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, which Florida won 2-1 over Edmonton to win the Stanley Cup for the first time ever.
“Anton has matured into a dependable multirole center for our club, who seized his opportunity from his first day in North America,” said Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito. “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.”
The 22-year-old Finnish center has spent three seasons with the Panthers since being selected 12th overall in the 2020 draft, recording 43 goals and 69 assists in 216 games.
With Anton Lundell now secured, the Panthers have solidified more of their core for years to come. Lundell, captain Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Gustav Forsling are all under contract through at least the 2029-30 season.
Additionally, the Panthers finalized a one-year deal with defenseman Nate Schmidt on Wednesday. The 32-year-old veteran, who has played for four other NHL clubs, most recently Winnipeg, brings experience and familiarity with Florida coach Paul Maurice.
“Nate is a veteran puck-moving defenseman who we expect to seamlessly integrate with our style of play,” Zito said. “We are excited to welcome him to our club in 2024-25.”
