Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov continues to dominate
By Jasmine Yen
Aleksander Barkov is so crucial for the Florida Panthers and he continues to prove his importance to the team. Does he deserve a Selke or Hart nomination?
The Florida Panthers may be last in the Atlantic Division, but their captain Aleksander Barkov continues to play like it’s game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. He is their biggest workhorse and is always counted on to produce for this team.
Barkov leads all the Panthers’ players (excluding the goalies) in ice time, averaging over 23 minutes a night. He is always matched up against the other team’s top line and the fact that he can both shut them down and produce himself makes him a great candidate for the Selke.
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He leads all forwards in the NHL in ice time, beating names like Anze Kopitar and Connor McDavid and is third in power play time. Barkov also averages over 2 minutes of penalty killing a night to round out his insane ice time stats.
The Panthers count on him in every situation, whether it be the power play, penalty kill, and even overtime. On Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he scored the overtime winner to complete his first career hat trick to become the first Panther in franchise history to complete a hat-trick in overtime.
Having that hat trick is impressive, but what is more impressive is that he played over 27 minutes. This man is a time eating machine.
At just 23 years old, what he is doing is extremely impressive. And with a cap hit of $5.9 million a year, it’s plain ridiculous. Barkov is such an underrated player because he plays in Florida and their team is struggling, but his accomplishments need to be known league-wide.
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If he continues to play the way he does, a Selke and Hart would not be too far off. His two-way game is so strong and he is the most important player for the Panthers every night. Whenever Boughner needs a spark, a late goal, or to defend a late period lead, you can count on Barkov to step onto the ice. It’s time for him to get the recognition he deserves.