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Florida Panthers All-Time Starting Roster

By Austin Lee

2002 Season: Pavel Bure fires as Scott Stevens chases. (Photo by Lisa Meyer/Getty Images)
2002 Season: Pavel Bure fires as Scott Stevens chases. (Photo by Lisa Meyer/Getty Images) /
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C, Aleksander Barkov, (2013-Present)

SUNRISE, FL – FEBRUARY 21: Aleksander Barkov #16 of the Florida Panthers skates with the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes at the BB&T Center on February 21, 2019 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FL – FEBRUARY 21: Aleksander Barkov #16 of the Florida Panthers skates with the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes at the BB&T Center on February 21, 2019 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Have I mentioned what an exciting time it is to be a Panthers fan?

I know recency bias tends to creep its way into these sorts of rankings, but, let’s look at the facts.

This past season, Barkov served as the youngest captain in Panthers history and undoubtedly exceeded all expectations.

He set a new franchise high with 96 points, surpassing Pavel Bure’s 19-year-old record of 94 points. Barkov was the offensive driving force that Florida has desperately needed for years.

When he was drafted, it seemed as though a large chunk of the fanbase seemed rather upset with the pick.

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Taken second overall in 2013, some felt it was a bit of a reach. There were still some highly touted players on the board such as Seth Jones and Jonathan Drouin, which made Barkov come across as a bit of an unknown gamble.

But boy, did that pick ever pay off. Barky is now just 74 points away from passing Olli Jokinen in becoming the highest-scoring player in the team’s 26-year history, and he’s only 23-years-old.

The Panthers’ scouting staff deserves a big round of applause for getting their guy.

Just this offseason, he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which is given to the player who “exhibits the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”

I should also point out that he is also signed to an incredibly team-friendly deal at $5.9M per year for another three seasons.

Panthers GM Dale Tallon seems like an absolute genius considering Barkov and Huberdeau’s contracts, and I’m sure Cats fans are thankful.

It’s safe to say that Barkov is a lock for this list.

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