The most special thing about Aleksander Barkov is his exceptional ambition and desire to continue to develop, even though the player has practically no weaknesses, writes Tommi Seppälä, NH Sport’s journalist for Sportheil.
There is no oversized talk at all Alexander Barkov even as the best center striker in the world. The argument is supported by many indicators.
There are, of course, hubs in the NHL that hit the board harder in terms of power, but through versatility and comprehensiveness, Barkov has made a seeming detachment with many of his racing brothers a long time ago.
Most importantly, Barkov has been able to constantly evolve and bring new things to his game, most recently shooting and scoring. You can see a sample of both skills below.
Barkov have scored a goal of 0.58 matches per season this season. The last time a Finnish hockey player had reached the same time in 1998–99, when it was Teemu Selänne.
Barkov’s reading is the ninth very quote in Finnish NHL history.
Few have profiled Florida’s No. 1 center as a scorer type, yet he ranks 12th in NHL players ’match-average goal averages.
As a hockey player, Aleksander Barkov is a gift that will continue to be given.
Domination is only emphasized in the scoring statistics, where the average score per man in Tappara has already risen to 1.34. The reading is the ninth in the history of Finnish NHL.
Still, it would be wrong to talk about Barkov only through power points.
Is Barkov the perfect hockey player?
Defensive responsibilities are a significant part of the central striker’s job description, and Barkov has been making art in the NHL for a long time. It is about extreme conscientiousness and humility. The Panthers skipper will not take a half step to attack until the game allows it.
In other words, it is no coincidence that Barkov is among the top five in terms of center strikers for the last two seasons in the first-place finish line statistics.
Barkov never spills on his own. During the previous seven seasons, Barkov has been in the redundancy statistics of the old union for one period (2018–2019).
As of fall 2015, Barkov has a plus of 85 hits. The reading is the fifth highest for attackers.
The whole is made up of small things like disc strippers. Barkov has made a trademark for depriving the puck and snake-tongued, i.e. pushing the puck out with a club. In the previous two seasons, Barkov has recorded 2.81 exploits for every five hours played against five. The reading instead justifies 13 in the comparison of all NHL players.
Barkov has also developed in start-ups over the past six years by ten percentage points. This season, he has won over 56 percent of all his starts. Barkov is ranked 12th on the list of those who have taken at least 500 starts.
At the same time that Barkov hits the board with a terrible result, he has honed even the smallest details within the game to the top level. It is about versatility that few people reach.
The splendor of the Finnish star is based on an incredible game head and a completely exceptional skill level. Skills make Barkov not only a reliable but also a very dangerous icebreaker.
In the previous five seasons, Barkov has scored ten underpower goals, the sixth highest in the NHL. This season, he has been playing undercutting for more than two minutes per match – in addition to even greater overcrowding.
On top of all that, the Florida skipper solves games with incredible penalty shots. If the match has to be resolved with winning shots, that too will succeed. Since entering the NHL, Barkov has scored the second most winning shots in the entire league.
Barkov, therefore, shines five against five, is extremely skillful, conscientious and reliable in the defense. He kills coolers, shines with superiority and has developed a deterrent from his shot. In addition, he wins starts and deprives the puck in an exceptional way.
When strong skating and state-of-the-art physics are added to this overall package, you can talk about the perfect player.
Where can Barkov even develop?
If you have to search for development targets in Barkov, they could be associated with selfishness. As a player, Barkov’s identity has always been built more through feeding than shooting.
On the other hand, the current number of goals is an indication of the development of this area as well.
And perhaps just the right kind of humility and team first mentality has made Barkov the most complete player in Finnish hockey history – and that is what sets the Finn apart from others in the NHL, where everything is built around the star cult.
Aleksander Barkov has joined the NHL to win as a team. It shows up in every shift.
The most special thing about Barkov, however, is that we have still not seen everything. Barkov’s greatest strength lies in his ears: a terrible desire to develop himself to drive a power striker in the exercises of the coming summer, on the ice and in the weight room.
We can only make enlightened guesses as to what this player will reach in his career, as it is certain that we have not yet seen everything.
It is also certain that when everything is sometimes said and done about Barkov, the bar is at heights that no other Finn has visited.