Colby Guy
One year ago today, I joined Florida Hockey Now and penned my first article: Florida Panthers Preseason Award Predictions.
A trip around the sun later, it is time to take a spin at those again.
With the start of the season 11 days away, there are a whole lot of storylines to follow and some new faces at the top.
Will newcomer Matthew Tkachuk lead the Panthers in goals?
Who will be the most impactful rookie this season?
Will Spencer Knight eclipse Sergei Bobrovsky as the Panthers’ No. 1 goalie?
I try to predict which Panthers player would best qualify for each NHL Award here:
Norris Trophy (Top Defenseman): Aaron Ekblad
Aaron Ekblad has been one of the best defensemen in the NHL and that will not change this season.
Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Ekblad ranks fifth in goals (26) and 16th in points (79) among NHL defensemen in 96 games — all while missing 42 games during that time due to a pair of injuries.
Despite missing the last 20 games of the season, he had 42 points in 61 games and finished sixth in Norris Trophy voting.
The only question that remains this season is whether or not he will be able to stay healthy enough to win the Norris Trophy this year.
It is not a matter of injury proneness — he has shown that he is able to come back from his injuries better than most in the league — but a matter of ending his string of bad luck.
Gus Forsling deserves an honorable mention for his elite skating and transitional defensive abilities. He will have a breakout season next to Ekblad on the top pairing.
Selke Trophy (Top Defensive Forward): Sasha Barkov
Do I even need to elaborate on this one?
Barkov finished in the top-five in Selke voting four times in the past five seasons and finished in the top two in each of the previous two.
If he had not missed 15 games last year, he may have very well edged out Patrice Bergeron to win his second Selke in a row last season.
The 27-year-old has a solid chance at holding the title as the NHL’s best defensive forward for the second time in his career with his elite defensive IQ and all-around dominant play.
Fellow Finns Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen have also developed into strong defensive talents but it is hard for anyone to eclipse Barkov’s abilities in the defensive zone.
Vezina Trophy (Top Goalie): Sergei Bobrovsky
Yeah, I am not making the same mistake I made last year.
Bobrovsky returned to his Vezina Trophy-winning form last year, leading the league in wins with a 39-7-3 record with a .913/2.67 during Florida’s Presidents’ Trophy-winning regular season.
He followed that up with a 4-6-0 record with a .911/2.70 in the postseason while leading the Panthers to their first playoff series win since 1996.
Spencer Knight has shown that he can be an elite goaltender at times throughout his young career, but Bobrovsky has at least one more season of being the team’s No. 1 goalie before the 21-year-old takes over.
Maurice “Rocket” Richard (Most Goals): Sasha Barkov
Despite missing 15 games last season, Barkov ranked 18th among NHL skaters with 39 goals.
With a fully healthy season under his belt, he is fully capable of becoming the first Panther to hit 50 goals since Pavel Bure set the franchise record (59) in 2000-01.
Matthew Tkachuk finished the 2021-22 season with three more goals with Barkov but with Tkachuk transitioning to new linemates, there could be a dropoff.
While the newcomer will be adjusting to a line with Sam Bennett and one of Colin White or Sam Reinhart, Barkov will be returning to a line with Carter Verhaeghe, someone he has grown quite comfortable with over the last three years.
Barkov’s elite shot and 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame allow him to pick up goals from all over the offensive zone. He came into training camp with a lot of added muscle, adding to his net-front abilities.
Art Ross Trophy (MVP Voted by Players): Sasha Barkov
With Jonathan Huberdeau off to Calgary, this one is a lot less complicated.
Barkov does it all — passing, shooting, deflecting pucks in front — and it will help him seal the team lead in points.
Like I said in the goals race, it should be a bit of an adjustment period for Tkachuk this season.
He was playing on one of the best lines in the league with Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm and will have to shift towards carrying his own line this season.
Hart Trophy (MVP Voted by Media): Sasha Barkov
Do I need to say anything else about Sasha Barkov?
This is his team now and he will continue to show why he is one of the best players in the league.
He has yet to win a Hart Trophy in his career — finishing as high as sixth in 2020-21 — but this could be the year he finally wins it.
Calder Trophy (Top Rookie): Matt Kiersted
Unlike last season where Spencer Knight and Anton Lundell both made great cases in the Calder Trophy race at some point of the season, the Panthers do not have any rookies who should factor into that conversation this year.
Aleski Heponiemi, Grigori Denisenko, Anton Levtchi and Matt Kiersted are a few players who have retained their rookie status and could play NHL games at some point this year but it is highly unlikely any of them make a big enough impact with the Panthers to make a run at the Calder.
Kiersted gets the nod as Florida’s best rookie for the improvements he has made to his game since the start of camp. He is a lot more confident in the offensive end and he has become a lot stronger in the defensive zone as well.
He wins his 1-on-1 battles a lot more often and could become a reliable piece to Florida’s defensive core. If he makes the team, that is.
FLORIDA PANTHERS PRESEASON
Up Next
Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers
Where, When: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise; Thursday, 7 p.m.
Tickets: CLICK HERE
Streaming: FloridaPanthers.com
2022 Preseason — Sept. 26: Florida 4, Nashville 3 (OT); Nashville 4, Florida 0. Sept. 29: Carolina 5, Florida 2. Oct. 1: Carolina 4, Florida 3. Thursday: vs. Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. Saturday: at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m
Regular Season Opener: Oct. 13 at New York Islanders