Barkov underappreciated for performance with Panthers, Finnish peers say

Aleksander Barkov doesn't get nearly as much recognition as he should for all he does for the Florida Panthers, according to three of his NHL peers from Finland.

"Sasha is among the top players in the NHL, he's such a good all-around player," Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz said Thursday on a videoconference arranged by the NHL that also included fellow countrymen Barkov, Miro Heiskanen and Mikko Rantanen. "He's been very undervalued the past few years with the points he puts up and how hard he works both ways. We were training together on the ice last summer, so I got to see how good he really is from up close."

Barkov, the 24-year-old center, is second on the Panthers with 62 points (20 goals, 42 assists) in 66 games this season and is third in their history with 407 points (155 goals, 252 assists) in 479 games.

But it hasn't been just the offensive production that's made Barkov successful; he finished in the top five in Selke Trophy voting as the best defensive forward in the NHL in each of the past two seasons.

"Sasha comes to mind first as a two-way, all-around guy," said Rantanen, the Colorado Avalanche forward. "Good thing we only have to play him twice [each season]. The most annoying part is that stick, the longest stick in the League. You can't get rid of him in the offensive zone, he's everywhere. He's great all over the ice, not just offensively. He had more than 90 points last year (96) so that proves that his vision and scoring ability is world-class."

Heiskanen agreed with that assessment.

"Like the other guys said, Sasha is great all-around night after night," the Stars defenseman said. "Sometimes, you think you're past him, but the backchecking never stops and that long stick always turns up. It's amazing to watch him play, especially since he has so much skill for a big guy (6-foot-3, 210 pounds)."

Barkov, the No. 2 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft behind Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, appreciated the praise but preferred to shift the focus to the Panthers instead.

"It's great to hear that, of course, and all the stuff the other guys just said," Barkov said. "It's nice to be noticed and appreciated, I've done all I can to be as good as I can. But obviously I'd like to win something a little bigger as well."

The Panthers (35-26-8) were three points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for third place in the Atlantic Division and three behind the Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference when the NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

Barkov said he has remained in Florida and is training daily while NHL players, coaches and staff are under self-quarantine through April 30. Hintz, Rantanen and Heiskanen are in Finland during the pause.

"We were just hitting our stride and we got a few wins that took us closer to a playoff spot," Barkov said. "We're probably closer to that than we have been the past few years, so of course I'm a little bummed about that. But there's nothing you can do. Health comes first, so all we can do is wait and stay healthy, and then see what happens. I've been waiting for decisions about the fate of the season, but we haven't heard anything about that yet, so there's not much you can do apart from working out and waiting."

Barkov, who was named Panthers captain prior to the 2018-19 season, has scored at least 20 goals and has at least 52 points in each of the past five seasons.

"There's been a lot of talk the past few years about how he's underappreciated, and now he's finally starting to get some recognition," Hintz said.

Barkov mentioned former NHL forward Olli Jokinen, who is second in Panthers history with 419 points in 567 games over seven seasons with Florida from 2000-08, as his pick for most underrated Finland-born player.

"He doesn't get talked about a lot, but when you look at his career, his points anywhere he went, and especially his legacy here in Florida, he would definitely be my top choice," Barkov said.