With Patrice Bergeron hanging up his skates following final season, he opened the door for another person to win the Selke Trophy. Aleksander Barkov has already slammed that door and made it clear he’s the perfect defensive ahead within the sport with a terrific begin to the 2023-24 season.

Bergeron received the Selke Trophy six occasions, and he has in all probability earned the fitting to have the award named after him. Bergeron even went out because the two-time defending Selke Trophy winner, doing so on the ages of 36 and 37. There is probably not one other Bergeron ever once more, however Barkov appears decided to offer him a run for his cash.

Barkov is the final non-Bergeron participant to win the Selke, doing so within the 2020-21 season, and he has upped his sport this yr. In the case of his impacts at five-on-five, Barkov has been irreplaceable for the Florida Panthers, and he has been even higher than Bergeron in some areas.

5-on-five knowledge courtesy of Pure Stat Trick.

It also needs to be famous that, with out Barkov on the ice, issues have gone slightly poorly for the Panthers this season. Their five-on-five purpose differential whereas Barkov is using the pine is minus-10 at five-on-five. A few of that disparity will be chalked as much as poor taking pictures luck for the remainder of the Panthers, however it’s not a lot of a shock that Florida’s save share dips a couple of factors when the perfect defensive ahead within the NHL is on the bench.

On the danger of stating the plain, the Bruins had been all the time higher with Bergeron on the ice as nicely, however they had been nonetheless normally on the fitting facet of the scoreboard. That was particularly the case final yr, when Boston nonetheless outscored opponents 153-96 with out Bergeron at five-on-five.

In all equity to Bergeron, the crew’s anticipated objectives numbers had been pretty mediocre with out him, however having a Vezina Trophy winner in internet can erase some errors.

One factor that separates Barkov is that he has about two inches and 20 kilos on Bergeron, and he isn’t afraid to make use of that dimension. Standing at 6-foot-3 and 215 kilos, Barkov can make use of his attain, his physicality, or each to thwart an opposing participant’s scoring probability.

Watch any Panthers sport, and you may see a number of examples of the opposing crew cooking up one thing off the frenzy when Barkov reads the play completely, picks somebody’s pocket, and instantly transitions from protection to offense.

That final half is particularly vital as a result of the Panthers have wanted Barkov’s offensive contributions this season — and it is one other factor that offers him a leg up on Bergeron’s latter years. Bergeron was all the time good for 20-30 objectives and round 30 assists down the again stretch of his profession, however the final time he averaged a degree per sport was in 2018-19.

Barkov, alternatively, has 11 objectives and 21 assists in his 30 video games this season. His capacity to show glorious protection into harmful scoring probabilities has been a key a part of the Panthers’ offense, particularly since Matthew Tkachuk hasn’t totally hit his stride but.

After scoring 40 objectives final season, Tkachuk has simply 5 in 32 video games this yr. Meaning Florida has wanted contributions from different gamers, and Barkov’s 200-foot sport has facilitated simply that. It in all probability is not a coincidence that Sam Reinhart is on tempo for a profession yr whereas using shotgun with Barkov.

Barkov is doing every thing for the Panthers this season, and he has taken the mantle from Bergeron because the league’s greatest defensive ahead. He nonetheless wants 5 extra Selke trophies to catch the Bruins legend, and that is a lofty purpose, however Barkov appears like a lock to shut that hole this yr.