Florida Panthers
Sasha Barkov: The Florida Panthers goal-scoring machine does everything

It took a couple of seasons for Sasha Barkov to become one of the Florida Panthers most counted on goal scorers but he got there.
And Barkov has kept on going.
After scoring eight goals as a rookie and 16 as a sophomore, Barkov has hit the 20-goal marker in each of his following seven seasons.
Including this one.
Barkov, despite missing 13 games due to injury, is on pace to set a career-high in goals and is leading the NHLโs top scoring team with 25 in 40 games.
โI think I am playing with pretty good players,โ said Barkov, citing Jonathan Huberdeau, Carter Verhaeghe, Anthony Duclair and Sam Reinhart.
โThey make me look good. We have great chemistry as a team so it does not matter who you are playing with, you know you are going to get your chances. You have to capitalize on them. I am really happy to be playing with these guys.โ
- The latest NHL betting odds
Barkovโs best season putting pucks in the back of the net came in 2018-19 when he set career highs with 35 goals and 96 points.
That came in 82 games.
This season, Barkov more than likely wonโt hit 96 points due to those games missed โ but he is well on track to match his career high.
Barkov is averaging .625 goals per game this season which is the best pace he has ever been on.
Last year ended up being his best, Barkovโs 26 goals in 50 games coming in at .520 goals per game.
Barkovโs current run would be on pace for 51 goals in an 82 game season โ which would work out to 43 goals in 69 games.
When you look at all the things Barkov does for the Panthers, scoring at this kind of clip certainly is impressive.
โEvery part of his game is really good,โ coach Andrew Brunette said. โHe is so dynamic and such a good player. โฆ What can you say about Barky? Heโs such an underrated player. He went against the top guy in the league the other day and I thought he outplayed Connor (McDavid). We ended up on the short end of the stick, but it was fun to see him go head-to-head.โ
Earlier in the season, ESPN analyst John Tortorella took a little flack for saying that Barkov should be considered the top player in the NHL โ even better than McDavid, who won that ESPN poll.
Tortorella cited Barkovโs all-around game, adding that the guy could score a little bit.
โIโm not into whoโs better, but some who watched the matchup might say Torts wasnโt completely off his rocker when he said that,โ Brunette said with a grin.
โItโs probably closer than people think.โ
LINDBOHM CLEARS
Defenseman Petteri Lindbohm, who signed a one-year deal with the Panthers on Monday, cleared waivers on Tuesday and is free to join the team.
Lindbohm, 28, has 40 games of NHL experience with the St. Louis Blues and has also played in 171 AHL games with the Chicago Wolves.
He spent this season with Helsinkiโsย Jokerit but became available to sign with an NHL team after Jokerit pulled out of the KHL playoffs after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Last month, he helped Finland win its first Olympic Gold in menโs hockey.
โPetteri is a physical, experienced and capable defenseman who has succeeded on various levels of international hockey,โ Florida GM Bill Zito said in a statement announcing the signing.
โHe recently showcased what he can do contributing to Finlandโs Gold Medal at the Olympics and we look forward to what he can add to our Panthers blueline.โ
FLORIDA PANTHERS ON DECK
OTTAWA SENATORS AT FLORIDA PANTHERS
- When:ย Thursday, 7 p.m.
- Where:ย FLA Live Arena, Sunriseย
- TV/Streaming:ย Bally Sports Florida
- Radio:ย WQAM 560-AM/SiriusXM
- Last season:ย Did not play
- All-time regular season series:ย Ottawa leads 56-40-4, ties
- This season โ Ottawa leads 1-0:ย Ottawa 8, @Florida 2ย (Dec. 14)
