Florida Panthers retain forward Anton Lundell with six-year contract

July 3 (UPI) -- The Florida Panthers continued their effort to retain members of their Stanley Cup-winning cast, agreeing to a six-year contract with forward Anton Lundell, the team announced Wednesday.

Ludell, 22, was a restricted free agent. The veteran forward led the Panthers with five assists during the Stanley Cup Final, including one in Game 7. He is now signed through the 2029-30 season.

"Anton has matured into a dependable multirole center for our club, who seized his opportunity from his first day in North America," Panthers general manager Bill Zito said in a news release.

"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."

Lundell joined the Panthers as the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. He totaled a career-high 44 points, with 18 goals and 26 assists, in 2021-22. He logged 12 goals and 21 assists for 33 points in 2022-23.

Lundell registered 13 goals and 22 assists (35 points) over a career-high 78 games in 2023-24.

The agreement with Lundell came two days after the Panthers agreed to contract extensions with defenseman Dmitry Kulikov and forward Sam Reinhart.

The Panthers lost defensemen Brandon Montour, Ryan Lomberg and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, forward Kevin Stenlund and goalie Anthony Stolarz in free agency.

Tomas Nosek, A.J. Greer and Jesper Boqvist are among the players the Panthers added in free agency so far this off-season.

The Panthers will host the Boston Bruins in their 2024-25 season opener Oct. 8 in Sunrise, Fla.