Panthers captain Sasha Barkov enjoys his day with the Stanley Cup in Tampere, Finland Don’t let Sasha Barkov’s shy smile fool you. He knows he’s kind of a big deal. The quiet captain of the Florida Panthers quietly had himself quite the season, becoming the first Finnish captain to hoist the Stanley Cup. He also logged the third 80-point season of his career and was recognized for his elite two-way play with his second Selke Trophy. Barkov is only the second Finn to win the Selke, after Jere Lehtinen, who won in 1998, 1999 and 2003. “I don't really even have words for what he's doing for our team right now,” Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said of Barkov back in May after the Selke announcement was made. “He's playing the best hockey in the world right now, he's the best player in the world right now. At both ends of the ice, he's been unbelievable.” Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] Barkov, who will be 29 when the season starts, has certainly earned his place as the league’s top two-way center. Considering he’s still in what should be the prime years of his career, it should be fun to see what else Barkov comes up with as the Panthers continue to chase additional Stanley Cups. This is usually where a variety of videos from different places or sources will go, but in this case, we're using videos from one particular fan of Barkov. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSQWxzhPezc[/embed][embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX7haSduVVY[/embed][embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGibJeRzCEo[/embed][embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olOKiXSbYtI[/embed] LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA If indulging in Aaron Ekblad trade rumors, first understand how Panthers build roster [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/if-indulging-in-aaron-ekblad-trade-rumors-first-understand-how-panthers-build-roster] Redemption Rewind: Reinhart, Bobrovsky enjoy deserved NHL All-Star recognition [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/redemption-rewind-reinhart-bobrovsky-enjoy-deserved-nhl-all-star-recognition] Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues dresses up young sons as Keepers of the Stanley Cup [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-forward-evan-rodrigues-dresses-up-young-sons-as-keepers-of-the-stanley-cup] The Hockey Show: A surprisingly challenging and unique game of Florida Panthers trivia [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/the-hockey-show-a-surprisingly-challenging-and-unique-game-of-florida-panthers-trivia] Almost 36 years old, Sergei Bobrovsky remains among NHL’s top goaltenders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/almost-36-years-old-sergei-bobrovsky-remains-among-nhls-top-goaltenders] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
