Florida Panthers Re-Sign Anton Lundell To Long-Term Deal

At just 22 years old, he's already established himself as a vital part of the Florida Panthers championship roster. Now third-line center Anton Lundell has landed himself a hefty six-year deal from the Stanley Cup champs with a $5 million AAV.

Cats lock up Lundell! 🔒

Anton Lundell has signed a six-year extension with the @FlaPanthers! #NHLFreeAgency pic.twitter.com/yivjXiYS7L
— NHL (@NHL) July 3, 2024

Lundell, the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, just wrapped up his entry-level deal this past season and was a restricted free agent. But the Panthers weren't fooling around, throwing $30 million at Lundell to lock him up through the 2029-30 season.

$5 million is a sizable cap hit for a third-line center, but Lundell isn't just any 3C.

He's established himself as a strong two-way player, with 43 goals since his arrival three seasons ago, along with very impressive plus/minus stats. He finished this past regular season with 13 goals and 35 points along with a +19 rating. In his rookie season, he immediately took his spot as a regular with 18 goals and a +33 rating.

He stepped up his playmaking big-time in the playoffs during the Cats' Stanley Cup run this year, recording 14 assists and 17 points in 24 games, along with his usual strong plus/minus, at +8.

For context of how important the Panthers feel Lundell was to lock up, only three forwards will earn more on the team next season: Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk. Good company, indeed.