It was as if losing both Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov wasn’t a big enough blow to the Florida Panthers‘ three-peat dreams. And yet, knowing that fate works in mysterious ways, head coach Paul Maurice was all about accepting and moving on from the setback. “Beyond our control,” the Cats’ boss said about the sordid affair. But it seems like ill-fate isn’t leaving the reigning Stanley Cup champs’ case so easily.

In the first round of last season’s playoffs, the Florida Panthers handed the Tampa Bay Lightning a resounding 4-1 series defeat to eliminate the latter from the race to the Lord Stanley. Today, the Bolts made amends for that heartbreak by beating Maurice’s boys 5-2 at the Amalie Arena, the Panthers’ home stadium. However, the loss was the least of the South Florida team’s concerns.

Jameson Olive, the Panthers’ director of digital platforms, took X to share how another injury scare could loom overhead for the NHL heavyweights from Sunset, Florida. “Lundell (upper body) will get looked at tomorrow, per Maurice,” the social media post notes, and fans would feel squeamish. But why does this injury news feel like such a big deal for the Florida loyalists?

For one thing, Anton Lundell, the Finnish hockey star, could have replaced Barkov, with the latter looking at a 7- to 9-month timeframe before lacing up following his knee injury. With a two-way play reminiscent of the Panthers’ captain, Lundell is set to shoulder a bigger responsibility. Florida hopes to become the first team since the 1980s’ New York to win the Stanley Cup for three consecutive years. Obviously, the 24-year-old’s situation has the fans eagerly waiting for an assuring update.

Lundell has emerged as a key secondary offensive contributor since being picked as a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. In the 2024-25 season, Anton posted a career-high of 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) in 79 regular-season games. While most of his accolades have been racked up as a member of the Panthers’ third line, with Barkov gone, Lundell was supposed to bring his pivot play into the field. Naturally, even a whiff of an injury scare from his side would look grievous.

Now, while it’s true that Maurice believes there isn’t anyone to take over Barkov’s role in the team (I know there’s the idea, ‘next man up,’ I get all that, but there’s not a next man for ‘Barky’s’ skates, the coach said), Lundell has made a strong case for himself as a viable substitute for the captain over four years with the Florida Panthers. When two players can compete for the same position, it’s always a good problem for the coach. Thankfully, though, it does seem like Anton isn’t in danger of having to watch his mates skate from the sidelines.

The Cats will play their final game of the preseason series against the Lightning on Saturday, and fans would hope against all hopes to see Lundell in the lineup. But even if the short-term issue can be resolved, the team must brace itself for a tumultuous season ahead.

The Florida Panthers face a towering challenge

Winning the Stanley Cup is no mere feat. Let’s face it: making the playoffs is an arduous task often beyond a team’s capabilities. Don’t believe us? Just look at the Sabres. Buffalo has missed a spot in the postseason campaign for an astounding 14 straight seasons! In light of such a jaw-dropping stat, the Panthers’ back-to-back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup finals look stellar. Moreover, with how well the team has looked in the past season, winning the Cup for the third consecutive year wasn’t entirely off the table. But even before Maurice & Co. began their title defense journey, a double blow seemed to push the air away from the fans’ lungs.

First, it was Matthew Tkachuk. The ferocious winger had picked up a torn adductor muscle and sports hernia at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and was out of the team until the regular season wrapped up. Nevertheless, he became a driving force behind the team’s postseason success with 23 points (8 goals, 15 assists) in 23 games. However, in mid-September, Florida GM Bill Zito announced that a new lower-body injury would keep Chucky out of action till at least December.

Then it was the captain. During a practice session last week, Barkov suffered MCL and ACL injuries and was announced to miss the regular season. The fans went into a frenzy, with many claiming that defending the title was out of the question now. However, Lundell was one to see the silver lining: Aleksander’s woes allowed him to prove his worth to the world.

“We’ve got to move on as a team and it’s time for everybody to step up. Especially for me, it’s an opportunity to bring something even more to the table and something I want to take as a good challenge,” Anton said, following the team captain’s misery that came to light.

Brad Marchand, too, made it clear that he thought this would test the players’ ability to make up for Barky’s absence. But despite all the hopeful words, the players’ latent anxiety couldn’t be overlooked. Would Anton Lundell overcome his injury and keep the three-peat hopes alive?