Saturday night, the NHL declared Aleksander Barkov, the captain of the Florida Panthers, as the recipient of the Selke Trophy for being the league’s best defensive forward.
This marks Barkov’s second win of the Selke Trophy, as he also claimed the honor in 2021. His significant contribution to the Panthers’ defense led them to concede the fewest goals this season.
Additionally, he demonstrated prowess in faceoffs, winning 57.3% of his attempts, ranking ninth among players with at least 50 games and 500 faceoff tries.
Barkov, a 28-year-old center from Finland, garnered 156 out of 194 first-place votes from members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, he was included in all but two ballots.
In the playoffs, Barkov’s leadership has propelled the Florida Panthers to their second consecutive appearance in the Eastern Conference final.
