Florida Panthers‘ captain Aleksander Barkov‘s start to this season has been perplexing. Barkov has been at a point per game average throughout the first month of the season, yet failed to score a goal for his first twelve games.
Barkov is coming off a season where he emerged from “most underrated” to a clear star in the NHL. His performances were masterful, his hat trick versus Toronto, the through-the-legs wondergoal on star goalie Carey Price, breaking the Panthers’ franchise record for points in a season showed his emergence from a young two-way center to top-tier talent.