The Florida Panthers entered free agency as the current Eastern Conference champions. Even though they dropped the Stanley Cup Final to the Vegas Golden Knights, the squad at hand has a ton to be proud of.
With all of their free-agent signings, one may have been overlooked. Center Anton Lundell is entering the final season of his entry-level contract (ELC). With that in mind, his first big-boy deal could be in the works.
Lundell’s Tenure With the Cats Thus Far
Drafted 12th overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the Finnish center got his first taste of the NHL with the Panthers during the 2021-22 season. He was featured in 65 regular season games, scoring 18 goals and assisting 26 others. In addition, he was thrown onto the top penalty kill unit from his rookie season, showing they have 100% confidence in his two-way game.
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That same season, he got his first taste of the brutal gauntlet that is the Stanley Cup playoffs. He was featured in nine postseason games, scoring one goal against the Washington Capitals in Game 2. In addition, his faceoff win rate was over 53%.
This past season, he had somewhat of a sophomore slump, scoring only 12 goals and tallying 21 assists. This past postseason, he found the back of the net twice and helped eight others do the same through 21 games. Getting to the Cup Final will give the young Finn something to strive for, as this is a great learning experience for him.
How Much is He Going to Command?
The best way to determine how much he will get annually is to compare the type of player he is to other players’ first big deal.
A perfect example is the Cat’s captain in Aleksander Barkov. At the end of his ELC, he signed an extension worth $5.9 million for the next six seasons by then-general manager Dale Tallon on Jan. 25, 2016. He scored 28 goals and nabbed 31 assists in 66 games the year he received his extension. In addition, he scored two goals and was credited with an assist in six playoff games against the New York Islanders that year.
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Another example is the Los Angeles Kings captain in center Anze Kopitar. When his ELC was coming close to expiring, he signed an extension on Oct. 9, 2008, worth $6.8 million for the next seven seasons, $900,000 more than what Barkov got in his annual average (AAV). The season prior to his extension, he scored 32 goals and piled up 45 assists through 82 games dressed with the Kings.
Lundell did not have the same type of production that Kopitar or Barkov did before their extensions. Because of those factors, his AAV could be small. Furthermore, cap space is extremely limited as the Panthers only have a little more than $1 million to work with. They can wait until next season to sign him, but cap space will be unknown, and they’ll have a laundry list of free agents to re-sign. However, the added bonus that Kopitar does not have is Florida’s lack of state income tax, meaning the contract may not cost as much.
In the grand scheme of things, he could be signed a $4.5 million per year extension, which is in the same ballpark as the contracts of center Sam Bennett and winger Carter Verhaeghe.
When Will It Be Done?
The coaching staff of old and new has shown they want to keep Lundell around in some shape or capacity. Additionally, general manager Bill Zito is looking to move Heaven and Earth to give him an extension, as the Espoo native is his first draft choice as a general manager.
“Whatever the path of improvement can be, he will probably achieve it because he is a diligent worker,” Zito said.
“He is interested in getting better and he is invested in all that’s being taught.”
Bill Zito on Anton Lundell’s most recent playoff run
He’s easily fit himself into the lineup with the chemistry he has found with his captain and on the third line with Sam Reinhart. As a first-round selection, he is in the future plans for the team for a very long time. Because of that, the time is now to give him his first NHL extension.
