C Aleksander Barkov (2013, 2nd overall, Florida) IV

[Predsrule]

Aliens have changed his feet during the off-season. He was one of the better skaters on the ice in the last two games. He is a fast north-south skater, he can turn faster than your average 6'3 player, and he is one of the first players on a loose puck. On top of that he has enough of separation speed to skate out of the corners with the puck.

His skating is nothing like advertised (except for Button who said that his skating is absolutely not an issue, it's very good, hence the 4 for the skating when he was rating the prospects for TSN, 2nd youtube video below, from 5minutes onward or so)

YT]

From the couple of fla games i have seen this year his top speed has improved more then i expected. I watch a nice few barkov games last year and for hos size his skating wasnt an issue. Always had a good stright line north south speed was when he was on his edges and his first 2 steps where he had room to improve and as you said prob already has a little. Kids so young and has the tools you can't teach.

 

[Oan]

Will Barkov be the youngest player to play in Olympics since they allowed NHL-players to participate?

 

[gudzilla]

Will Barkov be the youngest player to play in Olympics since they allowed NHL-players to participate?

yep, should be. it's only been 4 olympics? and he's 17 days off the list anyway and most of the really early picks have been canadian/american and they haven't had the chance

so, essentially been 4 possible drafts that have been able to produce such a player, and i didnt recognize neither of them from olympics that year but i didnt do extensive research

 

[Keeptdos]

yep, should be. it's only been 4 olympics? and he's 17 days off the list anyway and most of the really early picks have been canadian/american and they haven't had the chance

so, essentially been 4 possible drafts that have been able to produce such a player, and i didnt recognize neither of them from olympics that year but i didnt do extensive research

When there are lesser countries with no talent in the NHL or so I'm sure there has been younger than 18 years old. Could be wrong though.

 

[gudzilla]

When there are lesser countries with no talent in the NHL or so I'm sure there has been younger than 18 years old. Could be wrong though.

im pretty sure he meant NHL players

im not so sure about others though, i know that most of the college players were 19-21 or so, a very young 18 year old is rare

 

[thomast]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=700787

Awesome athlete and his drive to become better hockey player is insane. He is going to be really special player in the future.

 

[BusQuets]

I really feel for the guy. Gets to play in the NHL and everyone hype it will be a blast just to find out that the are less spectators than in FEL. Watched the Florida-Ottawa game which wasn't even KHL level and Barkov looked like he want the **** out of there. Hopefully they will relocate that team.

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

Honestly though if the team starts performing the fans will come out. That roster over time in any city would start losing the attention of the fans. Miami isn't a city that is going to be resilient in their support of a bad team over what, a decade, but they will come if the product improves.

Which lies in the hands of guys like Barkov. Thing is, the guy just turned 19. Give it time.

 

[Boxscore]

I haven't really watched Florida much this season. How has Barkov looked?

 

[Past Considerations]

I haven't really watched Florida much this season. How has Barkov looked?

I haven't watched either but I'm not sure the stats lie much at this point: team is winless and the Barkov line has no points :S

 

[ShootIt]

I haven't really watched Florida much this season. How has Barkov looked?

Rusty.

He's not clicking with his linemates, currently Jokinen and Huberdeau IIRC. They should reunite the Bergerheim-Barkov-Boyes line at least till he shakes off the 8 month(+/-) time off from competitive hockey.

 

[Dr Quincy]

Rusty.

He's not clicking with his linemates, currently Jokinen and Huberdeau IIRC. They should reunite the Bergerheim-Barkov-Boyes line at least till he shakes off the 8 month(+/-) time off from competitive hockey.

Looked great defensively and on the draw against Ottawa, but the offense just hasn't been there. Definitely should reunite him with Boyes.

 

[RickyR]

Anyone watching much Florida? Barkov appears to still be taking a major step back from last season... 5 pts in 24 gp. Has battled some minor injuries on and off.

From what I've seen of him, he appears to be more in the mold of a defensive center (altho still a -5 +/- this year), and I doubt that even in his prime that he'll amass large point totals.

The kid's still 19, so waaaaaaaaaaaay too early to make any solid conclusions, but does everyone still think he has near elite scoring potential?

 

[Oan]

Defensively he is unreal for a 19 year old center, playing against the top lines of other teams, so there are no complaints in that department. (Of course, that doesn't show for majority of people. For a small comparison, this season he has been leagues above MacKinnon defensively). But offensively, he has been unlucky and snakebitten, but I have faith that won't last forever.

 

[JJTT]

Anyone watching much Florida? Barkov appears to still be taking a major step back from last season... 5 pts in 24 gp. Has battled some minor injuries on and off.

From what I've seen of him, he appears to be more in the mold of a defensive center (altho still a -5 +/- this year), and I doubt that even in his prime that he'll amass large point totals.

The kid's still 19, so waaaaaaaaaaaay too early to make any solid conclusions, but does everyone still think he has near elite scoring potential?

He is 19 and playing the hardest minutes on his team with terrible linemates. Until Florida finds him linemates who have the same level of hockey iq(guy who could actually keep up with his passes), he won't score a lot.

 

[FinPanda]

He has been good lately. He is coming, sooner or later.

 

[TheFinnishTrap]

He has been better, had good chances last game (hit the post) and looked good against Toronto too. It's only a matter of very small margins now, he will get the points too.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Defensively he is unreal for a 19 year old center, playing against the top lines of other teams, so there are no complaints in that department. (Of course, that doesn't show for majority of people. For a small comparison, this season he has been leagues above MacKinnon defensively). But offensively, he has been unlucky and snakebitten, but I have faith that won't last forever.

He'll get there. Those big, cerebral type of centers seem to always take longer to hit their stride in the NHL than more "dynamic" offensive forwards. I still have faith he'll regularly be posting 75-80p seasons (give or take) in a few years.

 

[Keeptdos]

I've watched Barkov for the last 3 games of Panthers and he has been one of their best player next to Ekblad. He generates chances when ever he is on the ice and covers for the d men rushing up. After watching those games it feels like there must be bad bounces that he hasn't scored much.

 

[BusQuets]

The best defensive center in the league? However he will begin to hit his offensive talent at some point even though its not that important...

 

[93LEAFS]

He'll get there. Those big, cerebral type of centers seem to always take longer to hit their stride in the NHL than more "dynamic" offensive forwards. I still have faith he'll regularly be posting 75-80p seasons (give or take) in a few years.

Sort of, a lot of people hoped he would turnout like Kopitar who put up 61 pts at the same age as Barkov. Maybe he's closer to Jordan Staal but Staal's point totals have never been drastically higher then his rookie season. Similarly to Barkov he had a down season his second year in the league in regards to points

 

[gudzilla]

Sort of, a lot of people hoped he would turnout like Kopitar who put up 61 pts at the same age as Barkov. Maybe he's closer to Jordan Staal but Staal's point totals have never been drastically higher then his rookie season. Similarly to Barkov he had a down season his second year in the league in regards to points

barkov has been injured too much to really say anything, he was super hot before injury last year though

barkov has elite offensive instincts, i just think he needs to hit "the perfect storm" for linemates to produce good #s

 

[PZA*]

Overrated. The hype is not real.

 

[Past Considerations]

Overrated. The hype is not real.

What hype? Last year when he was hot nobody talked about him because Florida and then he vanished from the map completely after the injury at the Olympics.

 

[FLpanthers16]

Overrated. The hype is not real.

Haha he is gonna make you look like a fool you watch!