NHL Network’s most recent ranking of the top 20 centers proves how underrated Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov truly is.
Recently, NHL Network updated their annual list of the top 20 centers in the NHL. As expected, Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov was on the list. However, where did he rank on the list? After placing 17th last year and having a career season, many expected Barkov to move up in the ranking.
Though he did improve on the list, he only moved up four spots to 13th. Barkov finished sandwiched between Stanley Cup champions Evgeny Kuznetsov (12th) and Nicklas Backstrom (14th).
ICYMI: Here are our Top 20 Centers in the NHL right now. #NHLTopPlayers pic.twitter.com/3NeJuzarQG
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 6, 2018
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Barkov finished last season with 27 goals, 51 assists (a career-high), and 78 points (also a career-high). A lot of what he does best can’t be measured by traditional methods. But he still ranks pretty favorably among centers if we use traditional numbers. Here’s how Barkov ranked among centers with at least 1,000 five-on-five minutes. All stats are at five-on-five.
- Points – 47 (tied for eighth)
- Total assists – 34 (fifth)
He narrowly missed averaging a point per game with 78 points in 79 games. Barkov’s 0.99 points per game ratio was 13th among centers. He was a huge part of the Panthers’ late-season push that nearly took them to the postseason. Over their last two months (plus April), they went 24-8-2. During that span, Barkov put up 35 points in 32 games.
Even by traditional metrics, he’s easily one of the best centers in the league and should probably be ranked a little bit higher on the list. However, Barkov’s true value can be measured via advanced stats.
First of all, considering how many minutes he plays (22:04 per game, which trailed only Anze Kopitar), his discipline is elite. Barkov finished eighth among centers in fewest penalties drawn per hour during all situations (0.24). He also committed the third-fewest minor penalties per hour at five-on-five (0.18).
Secondly, it’s a darn good thing for the Florida Panthers that Barkov rarely spends time in the penalty box because he’s an important penalty killer for them. Averaging 1:45 per game killing penalties, he was just inside the top 40 among centers.
Barkov’s goals for percentage while shorthanded was 41.47 percent, the highest among all players who played at least 100 shorthanded minutes. Not only that, he nearly outscored his opponents by himself. There were only seven power-play goals scored while Barkov was on the ice. Barkov himself scored five shorthanded goals (the most in the NHL).
Last of all, his possession numbers are outstanding. Last season, Barkov ranked fifth among centers in relative scoring chances for percentage (6.32 percent). He also placed in the top 25 in relative CorsiFor percentage and in the top 20 in relative FenwickFor percentage.
Let’s take a look at why he’s underrated. First of all, Barkov plays in a relatively small media market. Unless you’re a diehard Florida Panthers fan (or you live in Florida), you probably can’t locate Sunrise, Florida (where the Panthers play their home games) on a map.
Secondly, though Barkov does get power-play time (over three minutes per game in 2017-18), he’s not productive. Of the 40 centers to accumulate at least 200 minutes on the man advantage, he had the 10th lowest points per hour rate (3.81). It’s a bit odd to see someone as skilled as Barkov struggle to score on the power-play, but considering the Florida Panthers have never had a good power-play, he gets a pass.
Thirdly, there’s no way around it – Barkov is an elite penalty killer. Anyone who can say they nearly outscored their opponents while shorthanded is deserving of being called that. Because it’s very hard to produce while killing penalties, how well a center plays while shorthanded often gets overlooked when evaluating players. Barkov is proof why this shouldn’t be the case.
So where should he rank? There’s a good case he should be in the top 10. Barkov compares favorably to the likes of those players if you strictly look at points per game. Add in his value on the penalty kill and his outstanding possession numbers, and you have a darn good case Tyler Seguin (ranked ninth) and Barkov should swap places.