In many ways, Aleksander Barkov is still just a regular kid.
When he’s not centering the Florida Panthers top-scoring line, the 20-year-old Finn enjoys life at his home in Boca Raton, spending his free time perusing the stores at a nearby mall or playing video games with friends over the Internet.
Once you put a hockey stick in his hand, however, Barkov transforms into a man among boys as he maneuvers around the ice and past opponents as if a video game controller was dictating his every move.
“It’s getting easier,” said Barkov, who has six goals and 13 points in 19 games this season.