George Richards, FHN Publisher
CORAL SPRINGS — When the Florida Panthers drafted Anton Lundell 12th overall in 2020, general manager Bill Zito wasted no time in making it known that the young center would finish his season in Finland.
Even though Lundell may have been a help to the Panthers last season, there was no reason to rush his development by bringing him to South Florida and throwing him onto a new team, a new league and a new town all during a pandemic.
It was obviously the right call.
“He’s a heck of a player,” Andrew Brunette said.
Lundell, as was the plan, had plenty of time to integrate himself with his new teammates during the summertime.
He also got to experience a lot of good things last season not only with HIFK in the Liiga, but he got to excel at World Juniors and at the World Championships as well.
When he got to Florida he was about as prepared as he could be.
Boy, has he looked ready for the NHL.
“Looking back, the decision that I would stay one more year back home was the best choice,’’ said Lundell, who scored 16 goals as the alternate captain for his hometown HIFK team in Helsinki last season.
”Right now, it feels like it helped me so much. I played big minutes, had a great year and went to the men’s championship and that was a huge thing, playing against NHL players before I came here. I knew I can battle against them. I know I can do better, I know I can improve my game, but so far it has been good.”
Upon being drafted, Lundell was expected to eventually become Florida’s No. 2 center behind fellow Finn (and current roomate) Sasha Barkov.
With Barkov out due to injury the past few games, that ascension has come quicker than anyone could have hoped.
Although Lundell will likely go back to centering Florida’s third line upon Barkov’s return, his play so far this season gave the Panthers confidence he could do the job.
It would have been very easy for the Panthers to slide Sam Reinhart into that spot but instead they entrusted the position to the 20-year-old rookie.
And why not?
Lundell, as has been the case since Day 1, is a player Florida has had no problem putting on the ice regardless of the situation.
He is terrific defensively (he is the first player the Panthers roll out on penalty kills) and strong offensively as well.
On 3-on-3 in overtime, Lundell has found himself being among one of the first players the Panthers put out.
To say the rookie is fitting in quite nicely would be a bit of an understatement.
Lundell looks like he has been part of the Panthers for years.
“He is a pretty mature kid,” Brunette said. “He is such a smart, high-IQ kid with a high compete level.
“I have played with a lot of Finnish centers over the years and they are very good two-way players; defensively reliable, do the right things all the time. He fits that mold. And he has a pretty good one to learn from here.”
Lundell, who has three goals and seven points in 14 games, has been staying at Barkov’s home in Boca Raton since arriving in South Florida earlier this summer.
The Panthers are more than thrilled to know Lundell and Barkov are hanging out away from the rink as there are few better players the rookie could emulate.
”He is one of the best players in the league if not the best player,” Lundell said. “He is a great leader, a huge player for our team. I can’t describe him enough.”
Lundell, whose father Jan is the goalie coach for HIFK, had a number of family members in town to see him earlier this month.
Lundell’s family seems to dig South Florida as much as he does.
“It was pretty nice, it has been a good week and nice to have the parents over and show them my new home, all the places,” he said with a grin.
“They love it. You can’t hate it.”