The newly redesigned, yet incredibly hopeful and optimistic Florida Panthers are bracing for a seismic improvement following several vital external acquisitions. This will imply that budding superstar Aleksander Barkov’s jaw-dropping numbers will drastically increase.
The only person who could realistically impede Barkov’s progress from becoming a driving force is truly Barkov himself. The horrendous injury bug has continuously plagued the sensational centerman since entering the league as a teenager.
A multitude of unfortunate injuries have caused the Finnish star to miss a grand total of 37 games over the past 2 seasons. However, when considered entirely healthy, Aleksander Barkov is arguably the greatest scorer and all-around player the Panthers currently contain at their disposal.
During the catastrophic 2016-17 season for the Cats, Barkov produced an utterly impressive line of 21G, 31A and 52 points in only 61 regular season games. Re-winding backwards to 2015-16(most dominant season to date), Barkov registered an unbelievably remarkable line of 28G, 31A and 59 points in 66 regular season contests.
Sasha Barkov is definitely a proven force to be reckoned with, as he’s seamlessly displayed his extraordinary ability to contribute an abundance of meaningful points, throughout the entirety of his magnificent career.
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Aleksander is undoubtedly improving along the way as experience is continuing to pile up for the future all-star selection. He’ll most likely play alongside long-tenured Panther Jonathan Huberdeau and highly touted Russian Evgeny Dadonov on Florida’s top line.
The recently turned 22-year-old is looking to establish himself as FLA’s premier scorer en route to an unlikely playoff appearance, following a horrific season for the ages. Hopefully Barkov and Florida can prove the critics wrong (including myself) because passionate Cats’ fans are dying to watch playoff hockey in the BB&T Center once more.
Barkov is emerging as an imposing threat to opposing defenses due to his dynamic skill set at the center position. Aleksander is certainly unafraid to compete against the opposition’s top centerman on a nightly basis mainly because Sasha has countlessly demonstrated that he can outplay and outmuscle those that he encounters.
The Cats rewarded Barky a hefty long term extension years ago because the Panthers’ front office ultimately contains the utmost faith and confidence in Barkov’s ability to galvanize the troops. Front office also believes that Barkov can lead this struggling team to inevitable prominence in the foreseeable future.
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Barkov is clearly an all-world player and he’ll hopefully remain healthy throughout the upcoming season to increase FLA’s slim probability of reaching the postseason. Aleksander will ultimately be forced to become the primary catalyst if Florida hopes to sniff playoff contention, otherwise, the Cats will surely be watching the playoffs at home or golfing for another year.