The Florida Panthers have one of the most complete lineups in the entire National Hockey League. The roster that Bill Zito has mostly constructed has the perfect blend of finesse, speed, and power. That's why the Cats have been one of the most dominant teams in recent memory. This season, Florida looks to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
As they head into their Stanley Cup Final rematch with the Edmonton Oilers, one component of the defending champions has stood out above the rest. Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell have been longtime fixtures in Florida's bottom-six. Luostarinen has been around since 2020-21 and is the one remaining piece from the trade that sent fan favorite Vincent Trocheck to Carolina.
That trade was one of the final deals done by former general manager Dale Tallon. On the other hand, Lundell was the first draft selection made by Bill Zito. Since being selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the young Finnish center has slowly grown into one of the most dependable all-around forwards at the center position.
His ability to excel on both ends of the ice has drawn comparisons to his fellow teammate and countryman, Aleksander Barkov. Even for the 23-year-old, Lundell has shown shades of Barkov's personality and is one of the most mature athletes ever seen at this age. Both of these players have excelled in their own ways and have been massive contributors to Florida's new run of success.
However, at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, Zito acquired a former rival and notorious character in league-wide circles. That rival is former Boston Bruin pest Brad Marchand. The recently turned 37-year-old has been a thorn in the side of almost every team in the league at some point. That's including these same Panthers. However, that hasn't stopped Marchand from fitting in seamlessly.
The future Hall of Famer has been as advertised for the Panthers. While not being the player he used to be during his earlier years, the native of Halifax has brought his pestiness to a team that has oodles of it. More importantly, he's been the secret ingredient that has created the most underappreciated line in hockey right now.
'Marchy' has been a surprise catalyst for this line, considering that he was expected to play on the heavily anticipated and dubbed 'rat line', along with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. Why have these three forwards been able to work so well together? Each has their own skill set that they have brought to the table.
Eetu Luostarinen. Say that name three times fast. Another Finnish product on Florida's roster, Luostarinen has one of the funniest names in all of sports, mainly because it's extremely difficult to pronounce and spell. The 26-year-old has quietly become one of the better left-wing third-liners in the NHL.
He has a skillset that is complete, which allows him to excel in Florida's aggressive shoot-and-retrieve system. He can do anything you can think of on the ice. His main job is to play the cycle and continue the pressure when the Cats are in the offensive zone. Since he occupies the left wing spot, 'Luosty' is usually the first or second player to retrieve the puck, especially along the boards.
The Panthers are a team that is heavily reliant on great and relentless forechecking, which is something the near 200-pounder could do very well. When on the forecheck, he's very active with his stick, constantly chopping at the puck when fighting for possession with an opponent, to keep his team's zone time alive.
Defensively, he can make life a living hell for the opposition. That is mainly because of his 6-foot-3, 191-pound length and frame. Sure, Eetu is not the biggest guy on the ice. However, what makes his stature work is that Luostarinen is very effective at leaning in towards other players near the glass. He can also initiate contact with a hit consistently.
Through 17 playoff games this year, the former Carolina prospect is currently second on the team in hits(71), only trailing Sam Bennett. He has been able to fit Florida's physical mold to a tee. He is phenomenal at finding space on the ice in the offensive zone. He may not be the most skilled player, but he squeezes every drop of ability he has because of his relentless work ethic.
You will always see this guy giving a complete maximum effort. He always focuses on the play and keeps his eyes on the puck. The forward is the perfect definition of a system player. He's always grinding opposing players down, which makes him a key cog in the Panthers' roster.
When Bill Zito acquired the 16-year veteran for just a single first-round pick, everyone knew it was a steal. It feels like a heist now. Despite the usual characteristics of Marchand's play, the Canadian has quietly been one of the best offensive playmakers in Florida's playoff run. As of now, the right winger has racked up 10 assists in 17 postseason games.
It's no secret that his play has opened up some amazing looks for the Panthers throughout the playoffs. He's been one of the best puck battlers on the team. The forechecking has been mentioned earlier with Luostarinen. The pest adds to that and can create turnovers when on the forecheck. He's elite at being able to strip the puck away from opponents.
Florida's entire game plan is reliant on winning puck battles, and Marchand is still one of the NHL's elite at that skill. What only adds to the appeal of having a player like Brad is that he is a commodity that does well in all phases of the game. The man who has a nickname that's synonymous with the franchise's tradition is elite on the penalty kill, power-play, and at even strength.
There isn't a thing that he can't do. There isn't a role that he can't fill on this team. It's very similar to the case of the aforementioned Luostarinen, but Marchand is just more potent offensively. He fits perfectly into Florida's system and has continued his legend as a big game player, as evidenced by his overtime winner against Toronto in Game 3 of the second round.
There is still one more guy that we have to discuss, and that's the young man who centers this group.
We finally get to talk about the fourth-year veteran. This guy is only 23 years old and is already next up in South Florida. Not to make Panthers fans look too far ahead, but Sam Bennett, the team's current second-line center, is a free agent after this season. There is a chance he might not be suiting up in Florida red much longer.
But why worry? Anton Lundell will surely take 'Benny's' spot and will be just as effective, if not even more. For now, he is the glue that keeps this line together and makes all the parts work. When describing his game, it's different from the majority of the team. Anton plays a much calmer and subdued game when on the ice.
Lundell's specialty is his defensive capabilities, which is why he is compared to franchise cornerstone Aleksander Barkov so much. There were always flashes of his offensive game that showed up here and there. However, ever since Marchand was acquired, his game in the offensive zone has taken a huge leap.
He has grown his offense off the rush and can retrieve lots of loose pucks with his long reach. The native of Espoo, Finland, has also grown in being able to get shots off, even if those shots aren't the hardest or most accurate. One thing that people should notice when it comes to the shots that Anton takes is that he primarily shoots the puck for rebounds, so he can retrieve the puck and get a quality scoring chance, either by shooting once again or by dishing off to an open teammate. It could waste possession, but their energy and hustle always make up for that.
Overall, the production that the young skater gives is often predicated and built around a strong IQ, which is his biggest quality, as well as keeping his composure while playing an elite defensive game. Much like Barkov, there will be a time when Anton Lundell will be a regular in Selke Trophy voting. He can also keep possessions alive with his slick passing and excellent decision-making when in the zone. He can play with just about anyone.
Summary:
As you've learned, all three parts to this line have each made their contributions in Florida's success this postseason. The trio has repeatedly stepped their game up at times when the Panthers' top-six hasn't always been there. At least one of these players has contributed to 20 of the Panthers' 66 total goals in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, either by scoring themselves or by assisting on the tally.
According to MoneyPuck.com, in 60 minutes of minimum ice time, this line is ninth in the playoffs in xGoals%, with a 56.3% rate. They are fifth in xGoals for with 5.8. When on the ice together, this trio has scored 10 goals. That's 83.3% of the squad's scoring, and the line has a +8 goal differential. The 'LLM Line' ranks fifth in goals for per 60 minutes with 4.09.
This unique batch of players has generated lots of the offense found for Florida in the postseason. Among all the offensive lines in the playoffs, Luostarinen, Lundell, and Marchand have racked up 158 shot attempts, ranking second, which has given the line a Corsi percentage of 52.8%. The group has racked up 64.67 shot attempts for per 60 minutes as well.
The two Fins and one Canadian have also been able to get most of their shots on net. So far, they have combined for 97 unblocked shot attempts, giving them a Fenwick percentage of 51.3%. More important than the analytics is that these guys have shown up in big games throughout every round of these playoffs.
Lundell had a goal and an assist in the Game 4 win over Tampa Bay. The trio then combined for nine points in the series-clinching Game 5 victory over the Lightning. Luostarinen had four points himself(1 G, 3 A). Of course, in the next round, Marchand had his signature moment in a Panthers uniform by scoring the overtime winner in Game 3 against the Maple Leafs.
Each player had an assist in the blowout Game 5 win. Then, in Game 7, Luostarinen and Marchand had a goal and two assists each while Lundell scored the second goal of Florida's three-goal first-period avalanche. In the Eastern Conference Final, Eetu Luostarinen scored a goal in Game 1 against Carolina. In Game 3, Marchand scored a goal that was assisted by the 23-year-old center.
In the series-clinching Game 5, Anton Lundell capped off a second period in which the Panthers lit the lamp three times. He scored the final goal of that period, assisted by Marchand. There's no doubt that this line has been Florida's most productive in the postseason. They've won some games and have given this team a huge chance to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. These three have been at the head of this year's deep playoff run.