Getting to Know: Anton Lundell

The Detroit Red Wings had a chance to see Finnish center Anton Lundell in last summer's World Junior Summer Showcase at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich.

Unfortunately, it was a brief look as an injury kept Lundell from competing for most of the tournament.

NHL Central Scouting had Lundell ranked third among international skaters in its final rankings, which were released April 8.

Germany's Tim Stützte was ranked first and Sweden's Alexander Holtz was second among international skaters.

In April, Red Line Report ranked Lundell ninth overall and had this assessment from their chief scouts and Finnish scouts:

"Smart, strong, two-way center continues to be the clear-cut #1 among Finns this year. Plays like a bull in a china shop, plowing through defenders and making a straight beeline for the net. Plays a big man's game, controlling the center of the ice and creating space for linemates. Powerful skating stride with great puck protection. Really strong on his stick and the puck, but is not really an elusive stickhandler. Has a heavy shot. Dominates down low, and is then able to thread touch passes through traffic to hit wingers in good scoring areas. Pays attention to every detail; strong on face-offs and responsible defensively. Played in Liiga against men all year and received more ice time on team with a deep roster and was more of a difference maker during the season's 2nd half. Continues to develop nicely."

Playing as an 18-year-old in Finland's top league, Liiga, for HIFK, Lundell had 10 goals and 18 assists in 44 games, which was seventh on the team.

The 28 points marked a league-high for players younger than 19.

It was the second season that Lundell played in the men's league. He had nine goals and 10 assists in 38 games with HIFK in 2018-19.

Last month Lundell spoke to Jokke Nevalainen, Dobber Prospects' head of European scouting.

Lundell said he had already started his typical summer training.

"These past couple of summers, I've been on a training group led by Janne Hännien and Raimo Summanen," Lundell told Nevalainen. "Now we've mostly trained individually. There's a private gym nearby, I've been there on my own or with a friend while keeping safe distance between us. I've been able to train well there. Additionally, I've been spending time outside, jogging and all that. I've been able to arrange that pretty well."

Lundell would have loved to have played in the IIHF World Junior Championship for the second straight season, especially after winning a gold medal in 2019, but an injury prevented him from doing so.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic halted his season and Liiga's playoffs. HIFK was in sixth place with 103 points (34-25-8-9).

"I would have wanted to play at both of them," Lundell said. "The World Juniors would have been a nice experience. But I'm glad I got to play there last year and experience that. It was a good tournament and I was able to show in front of a big audience that I can play at the top level internationally. And then to win that tournament, it was unforgettable. So maybe for that reason, I was really looking forward to that tournament this year."

Lundell was not able to create some special moments during the World Junior Championship or the playoffs but he did have one during the season.

Lundell's father, Jan, is HIFK's goaltending coach but in one game against SaiPa, he went from coach to player.

"It was an unforgettable game, and in fact the entire day was pretty different," Lundell said. "In the morning, they said that maybe dad will be our backup, and I thought that it's unlikely to happen, they'll figure out something else. But then shortly before the game they said he's going to be the backup and with the team for that game. There also happened to be a free goalie spot next to me in our locker room, so we sat and got dressed for the game next to each other.

"Growing up, I've been watching dad's games and spent time at the hockey rinks with him. Then suddenly he's sitting next to me at the locker room and getting dressed for the same game with me. And then to be able to share the ice with him, it was something I'll never forget. It was really nice. If only there was more time, then it would have been even nicer."

While some draft experts like NHL Central Scouting have Lundell ranked near the top, others, like TSN's Craig Button, had him at No. 16 in his final list at the end of March.

"I haven't really read any lists or anything like that," Lundell said. "My goal this season was to play as well as possible and show how good I am. I believe I've shown I can play at the top level internationally, and I've played against men for two years and been able to put up points as well. I'm confident in that but we'll see when the draft happens."

The draft was supposed to take place June 26-27 at Montreal's Bell Centre, but was postponed due to the pandemic.

Commissioner Gary Bettman announced Tuesday that the NHL Draft Lottery would be held on June 26 but the draft itself has not yet been rescheduled.

When it does take place, the draft is likely to be a virtual one. Lundell is taking it all in stride.

"Of course it would be cool to be able to go to that event but either way, it's a big deal to be drafted and that's going to be an unforgettable day," Lundell said. "It's understandable in this situation to not have a live event. But of course I'm looking forward to the draft day."