SUNRISE, Fla. – The hockey world has clearly not forgotten.
Despite spending all last season on the shelf after suffering a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee during training camp, Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov still managed to finish near the top of NHL Network’s list of the league’s top centers heading into the 2026-27 campaign.
In the network’s annual preseason rankings, the two-time Stanley Cup champion ended up fifth.
“He has been one of the best all-around players in the game for a decade,” stated the article, which was released on Sunday.
Prior to his unfortunate injury, Barkov had been a model of consistently at both ends of the ice.
In addition to winning the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward in 2021, 2024 and 2025, the 30-year-old pivot registered at least 20 goals and 50 points in 10 straight seasons from 2015-25. Over the course of Florida’s back-to-back Cup runs in 2024 and 2025, he also logged 44 points (14 goals, 30 assists) in 47 playoff games.
Getting warmed up for his long-awaited return to the Panthers, Barkov looked no worse for wear in his first taste of action since his injury, notching a team-high 11 points (3G, 11A) while leading Finland to gold at the 2026 IIHF World Championship in May.
“Really excited about playing again,” he said after the tournament. “I feel like I just got started, and it was over after 10 games. I’m ready to play some more.”
To read NHL Network’s full rankings, click HERE.
