Since 2011 Bergeron won a record six Selke Trophies while being voted a finalist every season

Earlier this offseason the NHL lost one of its best two-way players in the league's long and storied history.

Boston center Patrice Bergeron hung up his skates following the conclusion of last season, bringing his 19-year career to an end.

Bergeron had long been synonymous with the Selke Trophy, the NHL's annual award given to the player voted the best defensive forward in the league.

Since 2011, Bergeron has been at least a finalist for the award each and every season.

He won the Selke in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022 and 2023. The six wins represent an NHL record that no player has come close to.

But now he's gone, moving on to the post-playing days and whatever comes with it.

This week The Hockey News' Rachel Doerrie posed the question of who in the NHL will benefit most, in terms of the Selke Trophy, by Bergeron's retirement.

Down here in South Florida, the Panthers have a forward who has been mentioned in the same breath as Bergeron in terms of his two-way skill, and that's captain Sasha Barkov.

A spectacular 2020-21 season ended with Barkov winning his first Selke Trophy, and the following year he was voted as a finalist as well.

Last season Barkov did receive votes, but was not a finalists. Meanwhile, Bergeron won for the second straight year.

Entering this season, the 28-year-old Barkov will be looking to resume his status as one of the best defensive centermen in the league.

With Bergeron retired, well-known defensive specialists like Barkov, Los Angeles' Anze Kopitar and Nashville's Ryan O'Reilly, or even younger guys like the Devils' Nico Hishcier, will have a chance to enter the spotlight vacated by the longtime Bruins star.

Doerrie's story dives into additional possibilities to enter the Selke conversation, and it's worth a read to see which players could become better known in this unique skill space.