The latest on Anton Lundell ahead of the Panthers’ preseason finale
The Florida Panthers’ center depth was already being tested before the season began with captain Aleksander Barkov out seven to nine months after surgery to repair the ACL and MCL in his right knee and Tomas Nosek out “several months” after offseason surgery of his own.
The Panthers received a bit of a scare on Thursday, when Anton Lundell exited midway through the Panthers’ 5-2 preseason loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning with an upper-body injury.
They are hoping to have avoided a worst-case scenario.
Lundell did not practice on Friday, with coach Paul Maurice telling reporters Lundell is day-to-day. He is unlikely to play in Florida’s preseason finale against Tampa Bay at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday (7 p.m., Scripps Sports). The Panthers, seeking to become the first team to win three consecutive Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders won four consecutive championships from 1980-1983, begin the regular season on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Lundell left with 9:08 left in the second period on Thursday, one shift after he took a high stick from Tampa Bay’s J.J. Moser.
The center, who turned 24 on Friday, is expected to take on a heavier workload this year with Barkov sidelined for what is expected to be the entire regular season at a minimum. He has filled in for Barkov over the past few years in shorter stints, but the 2025-26 campaign figures to be his first season playing in a top-six role, although that term comes with the caveat that Maurice has had no problem running Lundell’s line against the opponents’ top players because of his defensive prowess.
Lundell’s line with Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand on the wings served as Florida’s second forward line on Thursday. The trio was a massive spark for the Panthers during last season’s run to a second consecutive Stanley Cup, with Florida outscoring opponents 13-4 in just over 210 minutes of action at five-on-five over 23 playoff games.
With Lundell out, along with the absences of fellow centers Barkov and Nosek plus star winger Matthew Tkachuk, Maurice once again had to tinker with his forward lines, which very likely could remain in flux beyond when the season begins.
Sam Bennett remained as the top-line center but on Friday centered Mackie Samoskevich and Marchand.
Luostarinen moved from wing to center and had Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart — who had been on Bennett’s since the start of camp — on his wings. Luostarinen also took Lundell’s spot on Florida’s second power-play unit at practice.
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