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Prospect Info: Aleksander Barkov (signed 7/15/13)

thomast said:
There is couple games from Barkov in youtube. Which includes only Barkov's shifts.

This is from 8 months ago when Barkov had just turned 17. #16 with Golden helmet. Sean Bergenheim plays in this game against Barkov #84 red jersey:

Period 1:


Period 2:


Period 3:


Watch his board work in defensive zone. He simply ties opposite players on the boards so defensemen can just pick up the puck. He plays like man and with his body in all zones but isn't overly physical. Helps the defense out all the time.
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Hard to believe this kid is only 17.
He's the most polished player on the ice.
He's just so calm.
He never panics. He uses his size real well.
He'll be hard as hell to knock off his feet.
He definitely plays both ends of the ice, impressive.
The best part is what he's got between the ears.
He obviously a smart player. Love it.
 
Howboutthempanthers said:
Hard to believe this kid is only 17.
He's the most polished player on the ice.
He's just so calm.
He never panics. He uses his size real well.
He'll be hard as hell to knock off his feet.
He definitely plays both ends of the ice, impressive.
The best part is what he's got between the ears.
He obviously a smart player. Love it.
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Great thing about NHL lockout was that we could compare prospect to actual NHL players and how they fair against them. Barkov was all of those things u said when he played against Mikko Koivu. I don't say that Barkov is now as good player as Mikko Koivu because i highly doubt it. But when i saw them playing against. Barkov was the guy who controlled the game, was smartest player on ice, most dangerous player on ice and worked as hard as Mikko Koivu. It's not easy to face #1 NHL C as 17 year old but he actually outplayed him. It's a small sample but Barkov is clearly more talented than Mikko Koivu. Both play 200 foot game but Barkov is offensively much more talented.

The thing why Barkov has had such a success in FEL and having one of the most impressive draft eligible seasons in europe ever is that Barkov is mentally as mature as physically. People like to say that Barkov is a tank physically etc... But forget his mental side of the game. It is as beastly for 17 year old as his physical stature. Not to forget his high-end talent. Hard to believe that there is 2 weeks seperating Barkov from the 2014 draft.
 
thomast said:
Great thing about NHL lockout was that we could compare prospect to actual NHL players and how they fair against them. Barkov was all of those things u said when he played against Mikko Koivu. I don't say that Barkov is now as good player as Mikko Koivu because i highly doubt it. But when i saw them playing against. Barkov was the guy who controlled the game, was smartest player on ice, most dangerous player on ice and worked as hard as Mikko Koivu. It's not easy to face #1 NHL C as 17 year old but he actually outplayed him. It's a small sample but Barkov is clearly more talented than Mikko Koivu. Both play 200 foot game but Barkov is offensively much more talented.

The thing why Barkov has had such a success in FEL and having one of the most impressive draft eligible seasons in europe ever is that Barkov is mentally as mature as physically. People like to say that Barkov is a tank physically etc... But forget his mental side of the game. It is as beastly for 17 year old as his physical stature. Not to forget his high-end talent. Hard to believe that there is 2 weeks seperating Barkov from the 2014 draft.
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Yup. Now that I have watched him more, I can't wait to see him in a Panther jersey. :)
 
Very impressive stuff coming from a 17 yr old kid.

I can imagine someone questioning his work ethic as he is appears to be a passive type of skater, but I feel he is more of a cerebral type of player more than a physical skating machine.

The only thing I can think that concerns me is his skating. Not very good , but he has loads of time to work that portion out. Excited about this pick no doubt.
 
ursavolta said:
Very impressive stuff coming from a 17 yr old kid.

I can imagine someone questioning his work ethic as he is appears to be a passive type of skater, but I feel he is more of a cerebral type of player more than a physical skating machine.

The only thing I can think that concerns me is his skating. Not very good , but he has loads of time to work that portion out. Excited about this pick no doubt.
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I don't think that there have been anyone questioning his work ethic. He is one of the hardest working kids for this draft. He isn't racing up and down on the ice like you said he appears to glide alot but it's more because of his game reading ability and positioning. His ability to react quickly on the chances in the game is one of the main things. His skating isn't bad but lacks explosiveness. Alot of scouts and all says that he is very good skater for his type of player. I partly agree but i think that he would benefit being more explosive. His top speed is underrated because when he sees the openings he can skate suprisingly fast for his size. His balance is great, and his skating has long smooth stride. At his first steps you'll notice that he doesen't have enough power in his strides to accerelate to full speed right away. Once his leg has got more strength and he is more used to his large frame i could see him ending as a good to very good skater but never elite. For his type of player it's more than good enough. He is 17 year old and he has had growing spurth so it's not unusual to lack some explosiveness. I would be more worried if he had awkward stride, bad balance and all because it's hard to fix those things because they have played for their entire young career with that skating style but Barkov is technically actually very good skater with excellent balance. Lacks only explosiveness so i wouldn't be so worried. He doesen't have to change anything from his skating. All he needs to do is to get some leg strength.

There was once a legendary coach who said "Be quick but don't hurry" Barkov is exactly playing like that.
 
I remember one interview where CBJ GM Kekäläinen said something like this: "you don't have to be the fastest guy on the rink if you can read the game fast"

Describes Barkov well.
 
thomast said:
I don't think that there have been anyone questioning his work ethic. He is one of the hardest working kids for this draft. He isn't racing up and down on the ice like you said he appears to glide alot but it's more because of his game reading ability and positioning. His ability to react quickly on the chances in the game is one of the main things. His skating isn't bad but lacks explosiveness. Alot of scouts and all says that he is very good skater for his type of player. I partly agree but i think that he would benefit being more explosive. His top speed is underrated because when he sees the openings he can skate suprisingly fast for his size. His balance is great, and his skating has long smooth stride. At his first steps you'll notice that he doesen't have enough power in his strides to accerelate to full speed right away. Once his leg has got more strength and he is more used to his large frame i could see him ending as a good to very good skater but never elite. For his type of player it's more than good enough. He is 17 year old and he has had growing spurth so it's not unusual to lack some explosiveness. I would be more worried if he had awkward stride, bad balance and all because it's hard to fix those things because they have played for their entire young career with that skating style but Barkov is technically actually very good skater with excellent balance. Lacks only explosiveness so i wouldn't be so worried. He doesen't have to change anything from his skating. All he needs to do is to get some leg strength.

There was once a legendary coach who said "Be quick but don't hurry" Barkov is exactly playing like that.
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Finnpin said:
I remember one interview where CBJ GM Kekäläinen said something like this: "you don't have to be the fastest guy on the rink if you can read the game fast"

Describes Barkov well.
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Nice read, both good insight to Barkov's style. Can't wait for him to strut his stuff.
 
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It always makes me nervous when a player is picked who does not have great skating ability. Adjusting to faster speeds is one of the main differences between jrs and the pros. Certainly strength players into that as well, but Barkov will be fine on that end.

I am excited about this pick, though I was hesitant at first. Lots of potential here.
 
PanthersRule96 said:
It always makes me nervous when a player is picked who does not have great skating ability. Adjusting to faster speeds is one of the main differences between jrs and the pros. Certainly strength players into that as well, but Barkov will be fine on that end.

I am excited about this pick, though I was hesitant at first. Lots of potential here.
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Barkov haven't been playing junior hockey for 2 years.
 
thomast said:
I don't think that there have been anyone questioning his work ethic. He is one of the hardest working kids for this draft. He isn't racing up and down on the ice like you said he appears to glide alot but it's more because of his game reading ability and positioning. His ability to react quickly on the chances in the game is one of the main things. His skating isn't bad but lacks explosiveness. Alot of scouts and all says that he is very good skater for his type of player. I partly agree but i think that he would benefit being more explosive. His top speed is underrated because when he sees the openings he can skate suprisingly fast for his size. His balance is great, and his skating has long smooth stride. At his first steps you'll notice that he doesen't have enough power in his strides to accerelate to full speed right away. Once his leg has got more strength and he is more used to his large frame i could see him ending as a good to very good skater but never elite. For his type of player it's more than good enough. He is 17 year old and he has had growing spurth so it's not unusual to lack some explosiveness. I would be more worried if he had awkward stride, bad balance and all because it's hard to fix those things because they have played for their entire young career with that skating style but Barkov is technically actually very good skater with excellent balance. Lacks only explosiveness so i wouldn't be so worried. He doesen't have to change anything from his skating. All he needs to do is to get some leg strength.

There was once a legendary coach who said "Be quick but don't hurry" Barkov is exactly playing like that.
Click to expand...

Finnpin said:
I remember one interview where CBJ GM Kekäläinen said something like this: "you don't have to be the fastest guy on the rink if you can read the game fast"

Describes Barkov well.
Click to expand...

I think these Thomast and Finnpin descriptions of Barkov's skateng should be put somewhere here in HF when people just say and say that Barkov is bad skater.

Also MacKenzie say that Barkov is very good skater, Button says he is 4/5 and close to 5.

I wanna say that i have seen Barkov when he play juniors and wasn't get that huge frame yet. He has that explosiveness in him, so cause he had that explosiveness so when he stop growing and get the right muscles in his legs, then you can see a difference.

PanthersRule96 said:
It always makes me nervous when a player is picked who does not have great skating ability. Adjusting to faster speeds is one of the main differences between jrs and the pros. Certainly strength players into that as well, but Barkov will be fine on that end.

I am excited about this pick, though I was hesitant at first. Lots of potential here.
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Read what we just say.



This is the video where Barkov is 16 years old, WJC20, youngest player to score goal there.

Jarmo Kekäläinen is in this video commentator.

He says something like this "We see here Barkov's one of best attributes, these kind of big long limb players that movement (skating) wont maybe look like that very fast, but still from there he fight and push him up." Then: We have seen this many times in FEL when this extending and tall player can move that puck with his stick fast and that goalie couldn't had any chance to get that puck with his legs and it's a goal." (Someone who has better english can translate this better if you want)
 
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Yeah, Barkov's skating isn't as bad as the general opinion is. He has though said himself in an interview that he needs more explosiveness in his skating, and with his work ethic, im sure that it will happen.
 
PanthersRule96 said:
It always makes me nervous when a player is picked who does not have great skating ability. Adjusting to faster speeds is one of the main differences between jrs and the pros. Certainly strength players into that as well, but Barkov will be fine on that end.

I am excited about this pick, though I was hesitant at first. Lots of potential here.
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Where does all this come from? Reading what scouts say and watching his game videos he has very good skating ability, not excellent like Mackinnon, but his skating is not the liability a lot of posters are suggesting :shakehead
 
I'm not a Panthers fan but I'm a Barkov fan. Wondering what people's thoughts are on the following questions.

Do you think Barkov could make the Panthers this coming October? I'm not really looking to hear if he's ready or not as an individual player in a vacuum (because I know the answer, it's yes), but if he has a spot on the team itself.

Do you see him as a long term option for the first line center spot? Or would Bjugstad/Shore be in that spot first?

Do you think he fits well with Huberdeau or will he be better off playing on a different line with different linemates?

Also Is Huberdeau a shooter or a playmaker?
 
theIceWookie said:
I'm not a Panthers fan but I'm a Barkov fan. Wondering what people's thoughts are on the following questions.

Do you think Barkov could make the Panthers this coming October? I'm not really looking to hear if he's ready or not as an individual player in a vacuum (because I know the answer, it's yes), but if he has a spot on the team itself.

Do you see him as a long term option for the first line center spot? Or would Bjugstad/Shore be in that spot first?

Do you think he fits well with Huberdeau or will he be better off playing on a different line with different linemates?

Also Is Huberdeau a shooter or a playmaker?
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yes, he'll have a spot if he's healthy

he's the 1C, bjugstad the 2C, shore the 3C/4C depending on offensive production

i think we'll have huberdeau-barkov- and a sniper. both barkov and huberdeau are playmakers but can score goals
 
Remember everyone, skating is probably the easiest part of their game for a player to improve on. 15 power skating classes and he's a machine, trust me.

You can't teach hockey sense and IQ, and he has those. Skating is not an issue for me. He's definitely not slow, just not swift. But centers don't typically have breakout speed ala Crosby. Guys like Thornton, Staal, and Spezza are all average skaters. Hell, even Gretzky wasn't a very quick skater, but if you know the game and anticipate, you don't need to be a fast skater.
 
JonathanHuberdoh said:
Remember everyone, skating is probably the easiest part of their game for a player to improve on. 15 power skating classes and he's a machine, trust me.

You can't teach hockey sense and IQ, and he has those. Skating is not an issue for me. He's definitely not slow, just not swift. But centers don't typically have breakout speed ala Crosby. Guys like Thornton, Staal, and Spezza are all average skaters. Hell, even Gretzky wasn't a very quick skater, but if you know the game and anticipate, you don't need to be a fast skater.
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prime modern day example that every1 can see is the evolution of JT91s skating. mediocre skater drafted, now he's a lot better
 
JonathanHuberdoh said:
Remember everyone, skating is probably the easiest part of their game for a player to improve on. 15 power skating classes and he's a machine, trust me.

You can't teach hockey sense and IQ, and he has those. Skating is not an issue for me. He's definitely not slow, just not swift. But centers don't typically have breakout speed ala Crosby. Guys like Thornton, Staal, and Spezza are all average skaters. Hell, even Gretzky wasn't a very quick skater, but if you know the game and anticipate, you don't need to be a fast skater.
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If you're slow at 18, you will never be good. i agree on center, they're not required to be fast. Also Barkov isn't slow, just big.
 
Without reading the last few pages, I'd wanna have my say about Barkie (let's see which nickname will last). And trying my best to keep this short analysis as realistic as possible.

He must break the whole effing NHL!!!1!!

Or perhaps not. From what I've seen in FEL, he was constantly a threat in the offensive zone. He's constantly making the right moves, passes when he has to, shoots when it's possible and dangles when he has to dangle. Last year he played in the FEL like he had played there for 10 years, he didn't need to hurry at all. I mean, he's not a flashy player per se, but a mature one already. He wasn't too fast, and his skating needs to improve, but on the other hand he's a big guy and still 17(!) years old, so it's not a surprise. He won't be a Finnish Flash, that's for sure. But he makes it up with his other skills - there aren't really many weaknesses. And yes, the games I saw Barkie play, he was dependable at his own end - he really does help the d-men the best he can, and he usually does it fairly well: Finnish work ethic meets Russian skills, what more can you hope for?

But remember, he's still just a teenager. Maybe us Finns hyped a bit (or more) the "Finnish Baby Jesus" - Mikael Granlund, but that's another story. In hindsight, I actually think that Barkie's got a better chance at playing in the NHL at a high level, the only thing that could actually be a problem is his skating. Hopefully he's not too slow. But that can be improved, otherwise he's just a natural when big size meets great skills.

Outside the rink, I actually always thought that he was really shy when I watched the interviews. That can on the other hand be seen as a sign of humility, which is not a bad thing always. Maybe he lacks charisma, but who cares when you see him on ice - there he's a real stud.

Congrats for drafting Barkie, he may be the most complete player that Finland has produced in decades. And hopefully we'll see already in next season where we stand too. And that's good for my team in the FEL too, when Tappara gets a whole lot weaker. Which is nice.
 
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Watching some of his highlights, one of the things that I find most impressive about him is his ability to read the play and make the right decision every time. It's almost uncanny how he does that. With the puck, without the puck, offense, defense, he never makes you nervous. He's always in the right position.
His hockey IQ is off the charts. I think of the top talent in the draft he is the smartest. People might say Drouin, but offensively Barkov is not nearly as far behind Drouin as people may think, and defensively Barkov beats the pants off of Drouin in that one.
And it's not that his skating is bad, it's just that the rest of his game is so good. But even having said that, I think his skating is very underrated.
 
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IFK said:
He says something like this "We see here Barkov's one of best attributes, these kind of big long limb players that movement (skating) wont maybe look like that very fast, but still from there he fight and push him up." Then: We have seen this many times in FEL when this extending and tall player can move that puck with his stick fast and that goalie couldn't had any chance to get that puck with his legs and it's a goal." (Someone who has better english can translate this better if you want)
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True. When I mentioned above that he's not a great skater, I meant that he's not exceptionally fast or a smooth skater. But he's well-balanced, which is crucial even in FEL. Barkie played against men and didn't look like a junior when everyone was after him.

Howboutthempanthers said:
And it's not that skating is bad, it's just that the rest of his game is so good. But even having said that, I think his skating is very underrated.
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Maybe underrated, but skating is not one of his strengths. And like I said, maybe his only "weakness". Simple as that.
 
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