With his future secured, ‘the work starts again’ for Aleksander Barkov and Florida Panthers
Aleksander Barkov does his best to keep his mind on the present, on the next task in front of him.
“The next practice, the next game,” Barkov said. “I don’t really think about what’s gonna happen next week or in two weeks. ... You’ve got to live in the moment. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
But there Barkov was on Friday, on the eve of the Florida Panthers’ final preseason game and less than a week from the start of his ninth NHL season, talking about the future — a future that now very likely keeps him in South Florida for the duration of his NHL career.
The 26-year-old Barkov agreed to an eight-year, $80 million contract extension that runs through the 2029-2030 season. It’s the largest contract in terms of total value in Panthers history, topping the seven-year, $70 million deal goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky signed in 2019.
Prior to the extension, Barkov was on the last year of a six-year, $35.4 million deal he signed in 2016.
“Everybody wanted to get it done. It became clear,” general manager Bill Zito said. “And when we figured out that there was a way it could happen, it made sense and we didn’t want it to be a distraction.”
Barkov could have played out this season and tested free agency, where he probably would have gotten more money.
He chose loyalty, sticking with the team he has been with for nearly a decade and the team that is building around him with hopes of winning a Stanley Cup.
The future is secured. Barkov is now free to focus on the present.
“Now,” Barkov said, “the work starts again.”
‘The cornerstone that we build around’
When Zito was hired 13 months ago to be the Panthers’ new general manager, he had one priority atop his to-do list: “Create an environment and culture that Sasha would want to stay with.”
Ever since being drafted as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Barkov has evolved into one of hockey’s top two-way centers — a gifted scorer and passer who is just as valuable defensively.
Barkov ranks second in franchise history in goals (181), assists (284) and points (465). He was an All-Star in 2018 and the winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (given to the player who “exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability”) in 2019 and the Frank J. Selke Trophy (given to the best two-way forward) in 2021. He finished sixth in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy, given to the NHL’s most valuable player, last season.
“He’s the cornerstone that we build around,” Zito said.
It goes beyond the statistics and the accolades, although those are certainly a perk and helped afford him this opportunity.
Barkov elevates the play of his teammates. His quiet but direct approach, along with his dominance on the ice, has helped him evolve from top prospect to team captain and face of the franchise.
“It’s vital,” Zito said. “Of course you have the on-ice product that’s happening. You have an excellent player who is making those around him better by nature of his play. And then you also have what he does off the ice, all the little things. The extra work. The attention to detail postgame, win or lose. What you’re doing as part of your training regiment, how you comport yourself. All those things. It’s vital to creating a winning culture.”
‘We’re getting better and better’
The “winning” part is starting to come into form.
Barkov only reached the traditional 16-team Stanley Cup playoffs once in his first seven seasons with the Panthers, eliminated in the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Last year, Florida finished with the fourth-most points in the NHL and established itself as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender despite losing in the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs to the eventual-champion Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.
Under Zito, the Panthers built around their current core of Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aaron Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar by making savvy offseason signings in the form of Patric Hornqvist, Anthony Duclair, Carter Verhaeghe, Alex Wennberg and Radko Gudas. They traded for forward Sam Bennett and defenseman Brandon Montour midseason to round out the team as it made its final playoff push.
The roster from last year remains primarily intact, with every forward who participated in the playoffs except for Wennberg returning and the club acquiring Sam Reinhart to be the new right wing on Barkov’s top line. Forward Anton Lundell, the Panthers’ first-round pick in 2020 and Barkov’s roommate, also appears destined to be on the Opening Night roster.
“We’re getting better and better as a team, organization,” Barkov said. “All of hockey is growing in South Florida every day. I see that, too. It’s getting bigger and the excitement around hockey is growing.”
Barkov is — and has been — at the center of it all. That’s not changing any time soon.
“I’m going to be here for a long time,” Barkov said. “Being in the organization that drafted me and gave me a chance to play here, developed me into the player and human being I am right now is a huge thing for me. I’ve really loved every second here, my whole career. Never thought about anything else other than being here, playing here and trying to win a Stanley Cup here.”
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