George Richards, FHN Publisher
CORAL SPRINGS — Anton Lundell is a center and a pretty good one at that. Yet when the Florida Panthers opened training camp last week, they had a few instances in which their second-year player was playing some on the wing.
It is something the Panthers continue to look at.
And be intrigued with.
Lundell, who was a rookie of the year candidate until sustaining an injury in March, was back on a top line with Sasha Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe during Wednesday’s practice.
”I don’t know what’s going to happen,’’ Barkov said, “but for right now, I am enjoying it.
“Having a player with that sort of skill set on the wing and the way he thinks the game is great. I played a lot with him on the penalty kill last year we did well together. We understand each other very well. He sees me and I see him.
“We read off each other very well. But playing wing is new to him and I don’t think he has really ever done it. It takes some getting used to, but having a player like that on the same line is amazing.”
With the Panthers playing host to the Carolina Hurricanes in a preseason game on Thursday night in Sunrise, don’t be surprised if those three line up together.
Florida knows what Lundell can do up the middle.
And they are excited about the possibility of “loading up” their top two lines with Anthony Duclair out for an extended period of time.
By moving Lundell up from centering the third line, Florida is certainly loading things up.
The Panthers are also giving looks to players such as Sam Reinhart, Colin White and Rudolfs Balcers.
”I just want to see it,” coach Paul Maurice said when asked about Lundell playing alongside Barkov.
“I have really liked this young man as a player. The more positions a young guy can play, the more you can move him around. There will be a fair amount of experimentation in the next three games.’’
Last week Lundell said he and the coaching staff spoke about the potential of his playing some wing.
It may or may not be a thing when the season starts, but it does look like the Panthers are looking into all future possibilities.
While he may still end up centering a new third line — Mason Marchment is off to Dallas and Reinhart may slide into the top-6 if not that right side of the first line — Florida wants to see what kind of options it has moving forward.
If the team was struggling offensively in a game, for instance, the Panthers want to know if there is a comfortability aspect if they throw lines into a blender.
So far, so good.
“We have talked about it and everyone knows I am a center,” Lundell said. “But I have been playing some shifts as a winger as well and I will do whatever the coaches want me to do.”
The Panthers are not exactly asking Lundell to play a fourth-line role on the wing.
This move would be up to the high-rent district and may just open up a world of scoring opportunities not only for himself but for whomever he is with.
“I have to earn that,” Lundell said.
Added Barkov: “We are very similar as players so, if we are on the same line, we’re going to be on the same page.”
Of course, moving Lundell up would weaken the Panthers on the bottom-6.
With Eric Staal looking good through this first week in camp, he would be a possibility to take over the third line or Eetu Luostarinen would slide up and replace Lundell there.
FLORIDA PANTHERS PRESEASON
Tonight: Carolina Hurricanes (1-0) at Florida Panthers (1-1)
When: 7 p.m.
Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise
Tickets: $15 donation benefits youth hockey in South Florida
Parking: Free
2022 Preseason — Monday: Florida 4, Nashville 3 (OT); Nashville 4, Florida 0. Tonight: vs. Carolina, 7 p.m. Saturday: at Carolina, 1 p.m. Oct. 6: vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. Oct. 8: at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m