Panthers and Anton Lundell agree to 6-year, $30 million contract

The last of those 17 playoff points came as an assist to set up Carter Verhaeghe’s opening goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, as Florida defeated Edmonton 2-1 to clinch the franchise’s first title.

“Anton has emerged as a reliable multi-role center for our club, seizing his opportunity from his first day in North America,” said Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito. “His dedication to improvement and cerebral approach to the game have earned him the deep respect of his teammates and coaches, and we are excited to see him continue to grow and succeed with the Panthers.”

The 22-year-old Finnish center has spent three seasons with the Panthers since they took him with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 draft. He has 43 goals and 69 assists in 216 games.

The Panthers have now secured even more of their core players for the coming years, with Lundell, captain Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Gustav Forsling all contracted through the 2029-30 season.

Also Wednesday, the Panthers finalized a one-year contract with defenseman Nate Schmidt. The 32-year-old veteran played for four other NHL clubs, most recently Winnipeg — where he played for Florida coach Paul Maurice.

“Nate is an experienced puck-moving defenseman who we expect to integrate seamlessly with our style of play,” Zito said. “We are excited to have him join our club in 2024-25.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl