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The Florida Panthers are locking up captain Aleksander Barkov on a historic eight-year, $80 million contract extension, according to The AP's Tim Reynolds. The deal is now the largest given out in franchise history in terms of overall value.
The previous record was held by goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who inked a seven-year, $70 million contract in 2019. Barkov is now the 12th $80 million man in the NHL.
Barkov has been with the Panthers since he was drafted second overall in 2013. He was just 18 years old when he started his career, and he soon became a legitimate franchise cornerstone. The 26-year-old has the second-longest tenure on the team, trailing only Jonathan Huberdeau.
Last season, Barkov had 58 points in 50 games for a Florida team that had one of the best records in the NHL. Unfortunately, the Panthers lost in the first round to the Tampa Bay Lighting, who eventually went on to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
Barkov is trailing Olli Jokinen’s franchise record of 188 goals by just seven. Barkov trails just Huberdeau for the Panthers’ all-time leads in assists (330-284) and points (498-465).
Florida has big plans for the 2021-22 season after falling short in the playoffs last season. With Barkov and other key members of the core locked in, the Panthers have high hopes for the future.
