The Florida Panthers locked up the most important piece of their franchise today. General Manager Bill Zito signed captain Aleksander Barkov to an extension, keeping the Finn with the team who first drafted him in 2013. The extension runs through the next eight years worth $80 million. The salary comes with a $10 million cap hit plus lots of signing bonuses.
Hearing Barkov extension comes in at 8x$10M, with majority coming in signing bonuses. Panthers step up and keep their captain.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 8, 2021
Panthers Sign Extension with Aleksander Barkov
The Panthers take a major piece of business off the table this summer as Barkov was set to become an unrestricted free agent. Barkov potted 26 goals and 32 assists last year, good for 58 points in 50 games played. He won the Selke Trophy as well, awarded annually to the best two-way forward in the league. His underlying advanced statistics illustrate why he won the Selke: Barkov earned a career-high 13.1% relative Corsi in 2020-21. His linemates Carter Verhaeghe and Anthony Duclair benefitted tremendously from skating with Barkov, each setting new career-highs in points-per-game as well. The Barkov effect is enormous and sets him apart as one of the best centremen in the league today.
Captain Barkov and his Accolades
The Panthers drafted Barkov second overall in the 2013 Entry Draft. He flew under the radar around the league for years, but Florida fans have known since the beginning just how special this player is. His creativity and hockey IQ is through the roof. At 6’3 and 215 pounds, his frame demands respect and makes it that much harder to compete against him. He’s accumulated 438 takeaways and 331 blocked shots on the defensive side of the puck over his career. Add that responsibility to the fact that he’s collected 465 career points in just 529 games? Signing Aleksander Barkov to an extension this year was on the top of every Panthers fan’s wishlist.
What’s Next for the Florida Panthers
After a tremendous 2020-21 season that saw the Panthers surprise the league and nearly win their division, the bar has been raised in South Florida. Expectations nudge significantly higher now, and they won’t find themselves surprising anyone this time around. Signing Aleksander Barkov to an extension locks in the most important piece of their puzzle. With that complete, Barkov and his team can focus on building on last year’s success.
Florida took the Tampa Bay Lightning to six games in an exciting first-round matchup. They looked good in the series, an important feat as many pundits expected a route. Tampa Bay went on to win the Stanley Cup, so many wondered how deep the Panthers could have gone if not for a tough draw in round one.
With Barkov at the helm, and with most of last year’s team intact, the goal this season is a deep postseason run. They added Joe Thornton and Sam Reinhart to the group this summer, too. Not to mention they’ll receive full seasons with Spencer Knight, Sam Bennett, and Brandon Montour in the group. The pieces are all there. This team is going to make some noise.
Main Photo:
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