The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions for the first time in franchise history after winning Game 7 2-1 over the Edmonton Oilers back on June 25. They enter the next season looking to repeat as champions once again.
One of the biggest reasons the team has won the illustrious trophy was the efforts of their captain, Aleksander Barkov, who is the 10th captain in Panthers history. After becoming the first Finnish captain to win the Stanley Cup, he is now argued to be the best captain in Panthers history.
Barkov Owns Most of the Records in Franchise History
Since being drafted second overall in 2013, Barkov has been creating new history for the franchise to be proud of. He is the all-time regular season leader in points with 711, goals with 266, assists with 445 and goals on the man advantage with 75.
In the playoffs, Barkov’s been very strong as well. He is the franchise leader in playoff points with 59 career points (19 goals, 40 assists), and his assist total also makes for the best in playoff history.
In a single season, Barkov had the third most points with 96 (35 goals, 61 assists) in the 2018-19 season. The only two players with more in a season are Matthew Tkachuk with 109 and Jonathan Huberdeau with 115.
Barkov Has Some Hardware That No Other Panthers Player Owns
Along with capturing the team’s first Stanley Cup, Barkov has won some awards that no other Panther in their 30-year history has had the honor of being awarded.
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In 2021 and last season, he was awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy for being the best defensive forward in the NHL. With the 2021 award, he became the first Panthers player to win it. To this day, no other Panthers player has won the award.
When Compared to Other Captains, Barkov Has Done More
As previously mentioned, Barkov leads the franchise in points, goals and assists. Among all Panthers captains, he’s broken every record.
Barkov has more points, goals, assists, and games played than any other captain in team history. The only captain to have more than him in one category is penalty minutes by Paul Laus with the most in franchise history with 1,702 minutes in the box. Based on the way Barkov plays, that may be the one Panthers record he does not catch in his career.
Additionally, there are still some records other captains have over him. Olli Jokinen co-owns the record with Mason Marchment for the most points in a game with six. Furthermore, Pavel Bure still owns the franchise record for most goals in a season with 59 in the 2000-01 season and the most goals in a game with four.
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With Barkov’s contract not expiring until 2029, along with a no-movement clause, he still has plenty of time to set new records in the Florida history books.
What’s Next for Barkov?
This summer is a summer of celebration for the team. Barkov was recently back in Tampere, Finland to celebrate his Cup win in his hometown. But he claims he’s not done and he’s hungry for it again.
“We won the Cup, the greatest prize, but you want to feel the same feelings again. That leaves you hungry,” Barkov said. “Winning the Cup helps us this coming season, but winning two in a row will no way be easy.
“It wasn’t easy to win this one, and the next win will not be easy,” he added. “Everyone has to give it all, everyone has to play his best game, and of course you need a little bit of luck. That’s what it takes to win the Cup.”
– Aleksander Barkov on a chance to repeat as Stanley Cup champions
With the roster the team has, they look to repeat as champions, and with the way Barkov has played over the past few seasons, getting back to the Final is a very realistic possibility. With that, he looks to establish himself even further as the greatest Panthers captain in franchise history.
