If Barkov can’t play in Game 3, the Panthers have their ‘Baby Barky’ ready to step up

At this point, Anton Lundell can only laugh when the nickname gets brought to his attention.

“I’m starting to hear more and more of it,” Lundell said.

Ever since the Florida Panthers picked Lundell with the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, comparisons have been made between him and Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov. Both hail from Finland. On the ice, both have complete two-way games with an eye toward the defensive game. Off the ice, both are naturally quiet but have burgeoning personalities and a knack for dry humor and the occasional one-liner.

And thus, the nickname: “Baby Barky.”

“It’s just funny,” Lundell said. “Obviously Barky is one of the best players in the league, so if somebody calls me ‘Baby Barky,’ I don’t get offended at all. I think that’s a funny nickname.”

While Lundell still has a long way to go before reaching Barkov’s level, the 22-year-old center has shown massive strides this season and has been one of the Panthers’ most consistent players in the playoffs.

They may need him at his best now more than ever considering Barkov’s status is in flux.

The Panthers’ hope is that Barkov will be available for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday after being knocked out in the third period of Game 2 following an elbow to the head from Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl. Barkov was a full participant in practice Wednesday before the team flew to Edmonton, slotting into his usual spot as top-line center, but coach Paul Maurice said a final decision on Barkov’s playing status won’t be made until the team gets to Edmonton.

If Barkov can’t play, look to his understudy in Lundell to take on a larger role in the Panthers’ game plan on Thursday.

“He’s been carrying us through the whole season,” Lundell said, “so it’s up to us to step up when he’s down.”

Lundell, who normally centers Florida’s third line, has done that before. Barkov missed nine games during the regular season, and Maurice more often than not went with Lundell to be the stop-gap on the top line when Barkov couldn’t play. Lundell was also the player who slotted into the Panthers’ second line earlier this playoffs when Sam Bennett missed five games due to a hand/wrist injury.

And through it all, Lundell has shown significant growth. He is fourth on the Panthers this playoffs with 14 points and third with 11 assists.

Lundell had a pair of primary assists in Florida’s Game 2 win on Monday. Midway through the second period, he sent a drop pass to defenseman Niko Mikkola in the slot to set up the game tying goal. And then in the third period, he fed a pass across the left circle to Evan Rodrigues at the front of the net for a power-play goal that put Florida up 3-1.

“[He’s] just a big-game player,” Rodrigues said. “[He] loves the challenge, loves the moment. I think he elevates his game in the playoffs because he relishes the challenges that come with a harder game, more meaningful games.”

Added Mikkola: “He’s playing a perfect game.”

Both plays felt very Barkov-esque, crisp passes that led to prime scoring chances. That’s only fitting, considering how much Barkov’s presence has influenced Lundell’s young-yet burgeoning NHL career.

Lundell started his career in a similar situation as Barkov — a first-round pick as a teenager, moving to a new country to begin his career.

So what did Barkov do? He took Lundell in as a roommate in his Boca Raton home for the newcomer’s first few months so that he could get acclimated to his new environment.

The bond has continued to grow over the past three years.

“I don’t think I could have a better guy to be here for me,” Lundell said. “Coming here, I had a hard time with the language, hard time with everything, you know, how to live in America. It’s a lot different. But he helped with small details outside hockey even more. Overall, he’s been a huge factor for me and the whole team. I have to say he is special.”

Lundell has the potential to be special, too. He has come up in big situations this postseason. Among them:

▪ He scored the game-tying goal and assisted on the game-winning goal of Florida’s series-clinching win against the Boston Bruins in Round 2.

▪ He scored the go-ahead goal in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final against the New York Rangers and then assisted on the game-winner in the series-clinching Game 6.

▪ And then he had the two assists in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday.

“I have absolutely no idea how good he can be,” Maurice said during the Eastern Conference final, “but we’re gonna find out.”

As for the comparisons between Barkov and Lundell? The coach understands it but also sees the differences between the two.

“Both will look at the exact same play,” Maurice said, “and Barkov doesn’t have a choice in the decision he makes. It’s going to be what’s the best thing for the team. The defense first. Lundy sees it the exact same way, but Lundy’s also got an offensive side where one eyebrow would go up and go, ‘Maybe I can get on the other side of that one.’”