As the NHL regular season draws to a close, discussions around individual awards are heating up. For Finns, the most interesting discussion takes place in the best defensive forward category. The award is voted on by North American hockey journalists.
It is clear that Florida Alexander Barkov must at least be nominated for an award. The striker from Tampere has once again put on a clinic in terms of playing in two directions, which one could well imagine will lead to winning the award. Barkov has won the award once in his career (2021) and was in the top three once (2022).
At the end of the previous season, the pole was extended to Boston, who ended his career For Patrice Bergeronwho won it for a record sixth time in his career.
– Yes, there will be a tough fight for that prize again, ‘s ice hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen resemble.
The basis on which the award for the best defensive forward is awarded sometimes seems to be a bit obscure even for the players. In addition to the naked eye, the media has traditionally used ancient power statistics to help. In the new era, in-depth data is also used, which tells more about the added value a player brings to the ice than the power statistics.
From the advanced statistics, we look in particular at how many goals have been scored or created against the player, as well as goal chances.
– The player must have a plan when entering the game, how to be on the plus wall with his own chain. This is pure mathematics, sums up Lehkonen.
What makes Barkov a winning candidate has to do with a strong plus sign at both ends of the court.
There are several high-quality defensive specialists in the NHL, but few can deliver at an elite level in both defense and offense. This separates the Finn from the majority of competitors.
At the same time, when Barkov has scored 80 (23+57) power points on the offensive end, while Barkov is on the ice with 5-for-5, only one and a half goals have been scored per hour played – the number is the lowest in the entire league for elite centers. Bergeron dropped the number to no less than 1.22 in the last season, but such numbers have been operated on throughout the entire season in terms of number one centers in the NHL very rarely.
In the traditional power statistics, Barkov has a plus of 33 hits.
When it comes to scoring opportunities or dangerous scoring opportunities created against Florida, Barkov beats Bergeron’s quotes from a year ago.
– He is a mathematical genius, who is constantly being rattled by the computer, which is the right move for any situation. Risk control is top-notch all the time and is affected by time and the situation on the scoreboard. He has an absolutely incomprehensible Team Game humility. Even if the situation could make him a thief, he never goes fishing for his own points. I really appreciate him, Lehkonen praises.
From exchange to exchange, the best – still only good
Barkov plays night after night against the best of the opposition. The Tappara breeder only rarely gets to play so-called easier exchanges. Part of the ice time consists of underpowered minutes, in which the league’s best individuals are on the other side. Still, Barkov has won more than 57 percent of the starts and Florida played the fifth best understrength in the series.
– What he does is art. And he doesn’t sparkle while doing it. He always knows what is coming up against him and he always has a plan on how to destroy it. “Sasha” also has incredible patience to wait and do the right things. The tactical intelligence of the five-a-side game is at an insanely hard level.
– If I were in a group, I would promote this guy like crazy, says Lehkonen.
And Lehkonen does not hesitate for a moment that Barkov is constantly driven by a merciless frenzy to become even better.
– Do you think he doesn’t check his own statistics after every game to see if we were in the plus and so on. Or is there something to complain about. If there is a problem, he will investigate where the problem occurred and why, Lehkonen says.
Among the legends?
Frank J. Selken the award bearing his name is known for never being won in the early stages of a career. Rising to the elite in this category requires less than kilometers and a great appreciation of the sport. Bergeron managed to win the award six times, Bob Gainey sixth and Jere Lehtinen three times.
Barkov is now aiming for his second victory at the age of 28. The Finn, who enjoys a huge amount of appreciation from the sports community, especially as a two-way player, has all the ingredients to become a true sports legend in the award category if he remains healthy. All signs point to the second-generation top player contending for the award nearly every year for seasons to come.
– Unless there are injuries, for 6-8 years he will be in that top row constantly. Lehkonen believes that the level of his playing will not decrease.
In North America, in addition to Barkov, a Finnish chain friend has been highlighted as winning candidates Sam Reinhartof Toronto Austin Matthews and Los Angeles Anze Kopitar.