DONE DEAL: Florida Panthers have agreed on a 6-year, $30 million contract with a 22-years old key man

SUNRISE, Fla. — The Florida Panthers have signed Anton Lundell to a six-year, $30 million contract, ensuring that all eight of their leading scorers return to defend their Stanley Cup title.

Lundell, a restricted free agent, recorded 13 goals and 22 assists in 78 regular-season games and improved his performance in the playoffs with 17 points in 24 games. His final playoff point was an assist on Carter Verhaeghe’s opening goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, where Florida defeated Edmonton 2-1 to secure the franchise’s first championship.

“Anton has matured into a dependable multirole center for our club, who seized his opportunity from his first day in North America,” said Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito. “His commitment to improvement and cerebral approach to the game earned him the profound 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, drafted 12th overall by the Panthers in 2020, has accumulated 43 goals and 69 assists in 216 games over three seasons.

With Lundell, captain Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, and Gustav Forsling all under contract through at least the 2029-30 season, the Panthers have secured their core for years to come.

Additionally, the Panthers finalized a one-year deal with 32-year-old defenseman Nate Schmidt, who has played for four other NHL teams, most recently Winnipeg, where he was coached by Florida’s Paul Maurice.