FORT LAUDERDALE – For the first time since they became teammates in 2021-22, forwards Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart are competing against each other.
For them, that’s totally fine.
On Saturday, Barkov and Reinhart became just the fifth pair of teammates to be nominated for the Selke Trophy, which is awarded annually to the top defensive forward in the NHL.
The other finalist is Anthony Cirelli of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“Really critical pieces to our team,” head coach Paul Maurice said.
To find the last pair of teammates nominated for the Selke Trophy, you’d have to go all the way back to 2007-08 when Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg were both honored.
Datsyuk won that season, with Zetterberg finishing third.
In the history of the NHL, no teammates have ever finished first and second for the award.
“They’re amazing on both sides,” goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky said while gushing over Barkov and Reinhart. “Reino scored 57 goals last year, and this year he’s a Selke nominee. It does not happen often with the same guy. He can score goals, he can defend, he can do everything. Same with Barky. Barky is so deep. He’s got unbelievable skills all around.”
Trying to capture his second consecutive Selke Trophy and third overall, Barkov posted 71 points (20 goals, 51 assists) while leading the Panthers with 34 takeaways this season.
A demon in the dot, Barkov’s 56.5% faceoff win percentage ranked ninth in the NHL among skaters who took at least 1,000 draws this season. At 5-on-5, his 59.3% shot attempts percentage was the fourth best among NHL forwards who competed in at least 50 games.
Additionally, the Panthers led 41-28 in goals when he was deployed at 5-on-5.
“It’s obviously pretty exciting to be in this together,” Reinhart said of playing with Barkov.
A first-time finalist for the Selke Trophy, Reinhart was knocking on the door of the awards last season, finishing fourth in voting after turning heads with his elite defensive metrics.
This season, Reinhart led Florida in goals (39), power-play goals (13), shorthanded goals (5) and points (81), while also pacing the team’s forwards in blocked shots (62).
In addition to helping the Panthers lead 51-36 in goals at 5-on-5, Reinhart also ranked second among the team’s forwards with a 58.46 expected goals for percentage.
On the penalty kill, he logged 123:19 of ice time.
"It's awesome,” Barkov said of getting nominated with Reinhart. “It's not like every year two guys from the same team get nominated for the award. It's pretty special."
In some ways, the dynamic duo appears to share a brain on the ice.
“It’s amazing to play with a guy who thinks about the game pretty much the same way as you,” Barkov said. “Both defensive minded, but learns how to play offensively as well together. It helps a lot when you’re on the ice and you know the guy next to you is going to think about the game the same way.”
If only they could also share the trophy!
The winner of the Selke Trophy is typically announced mid-May, so stay tuned.
BOBROVSKY GETTING IN THE ZONE
It looked like more of a ballet than preparing for battle.
The only Panther to take the ice on Saturday, Bobrovsky made his way around the rink slow and gracefully for an extended session while goaltending coach Robb Tallas watched on.
As peaceful as it was to watch, it brings just as much inner calm to No. 72.
“It’s more clear the head,” Bobrovsky said of his skate. “Just go deep into the body and feel how it moves, all the little things. I would say it’s mental and body maintenance day. I just try to move around and put my mind into the body into the moment.”
For Bobrovsky, it’s safe to say his unique routine is working.
Whether he’s deadlifting hours before a big game or finding Zen-like clarity on his off days, the 36-year-old veteran has found the perfect recipe for success in the playoffs.
Backstopping the Panthers to a 4-1 series win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1, Bobrovsky posted a .901 save percentage while making 21 high-danger saves.
Over the course of the five-game series, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner allowed two or fewer goals in three of his starts, including a 19-save shutout in a 2-0 win in Game 2.
Per MoneyPuck.com, he’s saved 1.7 goals above expected so far.
Dating back to the 2023 playoffs, he boasts a combined 24.6 goals saved above expected.
With a second-round tilt with Toronto on deck, “Playoff Bob” is in the zone.
“It’s just Bob,” defenseman Seth Jones said of his goaltender. “You let him do his thing.”
GAME 1 ANNOUNCED
We’ve got a start date!
The Panthers will officially drop the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at Scotiabank Arena on Monday at 8 p.m. ET.
Coverage in the U.S. will be on ESPN.
“They have a lot of similar tendencies to Tampa Bay,” forward Evan Rodrigues said of the Maple Leafs. “I think they lead off the rush, they like to hang on to pucks and make plays. Taking away their rush game I think will probably be a big key [to the series].”
Stay tuned to FloridaPanthers.com for an upcoming full schedule of Round 2.
To read more on what the Panthers are saying about the Maple Leafs, click HERE.
SATURDAY’S PRACTICE LINES
Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Evan Rodrigues – Sam Bennett – Mackie Samoskevich / Matthew Tkachuk*
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
A.J. Greer – Nico Sturm – Jesper Boqvist
Jonah Gadjovich – Tomas Nosek
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Seth Jones
Niko Mikkola – Dmitry Kulikov
Uvis Balinskis – Nate Schmidt
Jaycob Megna – Aaron Ekblad (susp.)
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek
*Note: Tkachuk spent the first half of practice doing strength training by himself, but rejoined the main group for special teams drills during the second half of practice.
“He actually got more work today,” said Maurice, who added that he is no longer monitoring Tkachuk’s minutes. “He's doing some strength and conditioning stuff. You can't do all of it in one day. That was the key piece."
