Panthers rookie Anton Lundell grew up idolizing Sasha Barkov. Now he’s living with him
On the eve of his training camp debut for the Florida Panthers, Anton Lundell turned 20.
It was a laid-back affair, he said. He spent most of the day with Aleksander Barkov — the rookie is currently living with the star center, whom he grew up watching — and had lunch and dinner with his 26-year-old countryman. The real gift was finally getting healthy enough to practice with the Panthers on Monday in Coral Springs.
“It’s good to be able to skate with the big guys who I watched on the TV,” the Finnish center said. “It’s fun to be around them and everybody having fun there, and we have a good atmosphere and it feels really good.”
Coach Joel Quenneville didn’t hesitate to throw Lundell right into major situations at the Florida Panthers’ IceDen, either. Lundell skated with wingers Joe Thornton and Maxim Mamin, who were also returning from injuries, on a transitional fifth line and slotted right into the Panthers’ penalty kill in his first practice of camp.
Florida hasn’t officially committed to Lundell as part of the season-opening roster, but his return this week puts him on track to be ready Oct. 14 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While Lundell won’t play Tuesday when the Panthers continue the preseason against the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7 p.m. in Orlando, Quenneville expects the 20-year-old to make his debut Thursday when Florida faces the Lightning in Tampa.
The Panthers wrap up the preseason Saturday in Sunrise against Tampa Bay, which would give Lundell two chances to skate with the NHL team and solidify his place on the roster.
“He looked like he hadn’t missed a beat out there today,” Quenneville said of Lundell. “It was nice to see him look like he could do everything out there, so I don’t think there’s any limitations. I know he’s eager to get involved with the group here and then we’ll see how he handles the game. I was pleased with what we saw on the ice from him today, as far as his instincts and his pace. He looked like he’s been a part of this group for a while.”
As the Panthers enter the 2021-22 NHL season with one of the deepest rosters in the league, Lundell is an X-factor. He was a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, captained Finland to a bronze medal at the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Florida in June. Now he’s pushing to be either the Panthers’ third- or fourth-line center and is a preseason contender for the Calder Memorial Trophy, with a chance to give Florida high-level bottom-line production.
The organization has massive expectations for him, viewing him similarly to Barkov — they have similar backgrounds, styles of play and even personalities — and Quenneville has raved about him since the start of camp. Now his teammates are gushing, too.
“He doesn’t look like he’s 20 on the ice. He looks like that off, but not on the ice, so that’s great,” defenseman Radko Gudas said. “The maturity of some of his plays, in the right spot. We had him today on the PK. I think he was always in the right spot and in the right areas, and that’s great to see from a young player like that.
“For the age he’s at, I think he looks really good and I’m looking forward to seeing him in game situations, and I think the better year he has, the better for us.”
