George Richards, FHN Publisher
SUNRISE — Sasha Barkov does not play for accolades, but another big one is coming for the captain of the Florida Panthers. It is all but assured that Barkov will win his second Selke Trophy this summer.
In the NHLPA player poll released Wednesday morning, Barkov was voted among his peers as the second most complete player in the NHL behind Sidney Crosby.
In June, at the NHL Awards, he is the heavy favorite to win his second Selke as the top defensive forward in the league in the past four years.
He won it following the 2021 season. Patrice Bergeron won his final two before retiring following Florida’s opening-round win against his Bruins last spring.
Bergeron won the Selke a record six times, and, now that he is retired, Barkov may just be heir to his throne.
Winning the Selke is not something that Barkov strives for, but playing the kind of game that holds him in such high regard is.
Few take more pride in playing a complete game than Barkov.
“That trophy goes to the best two-way player, and that is certainly what I try to be,” Barkov told FHN following practice on Monday morning.
“I am not trying to win a trophy, but just want to be as good as I can on offense, on defense, in taking faceoffs, working on the penalty kill or on the power play. I want to be as good as I can wherever this team needs me.
“At the same time, Bergeron won six Selkes and I know how hard it was going against him every time we were on the ice together. Going against him was a battle from the opening faceoff. You were not getting a night off if you were playing him. So, winning one was certainly a huge honor.”
The way Barkov talks about Bergeron is how opposing teams talk about Barkov.
When teams play the Panthers, he is the player everyone targets as one to watch.
As Barkov mentioned, he does everything for the Panthers, from centering their top line to being a big part of their top power play and being the first player out on the penalty kill.
He is also among the NHL leaders in faceoff wins.
“If they do say talk about me like that, it is an honor, especially coming from those you play against,’’ Barkov said. “If someone says that, it means you’re doing something right. I am just trying to my job as good as I can.”
Barkov has been on a tear since returning from taking some time off to deal with a nagging injury.
Florida, being in the position it is in, felt it best to rest their pivotal player for a few games so that he could put the injury behind him and be as close to 100 percent as he can be heading into the playoffs.
Barkov responded with five goals and 10 points in hitting the scoresheet in his first seven games.
“I tried to make the most of that break, concentrated on working to make other parts of my game better,’’ Barkov said. “I certainly felt better coming out of the break. I always try to work as hard as I can to get ready for the games and the team had to play three without me during a hard stretch. But I do feel better. Thankfully, I was able to step back and let everything that needed to heal do so. I certainly feel better.”
Barkov was held without a point in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over the Ottawa Senators but said these final games before the playoffs are certainly important.
Florida is three points behind Boston for the Atlantic Division lead — and is trying to hold off Toronto, which is now a point behind the Panthers for second in the division.
The difference between second and third is home ice in the opening round of the playoffs where it appears will be a rematch of last year’s conference semifinals between Florida and the Leafs.
“We went through a tough stretch here at the end of the season as a lot of teams do,’’ Barkov said. “But now we are home and I think it is good for us. We have games left and we we want to do our best.’’