The Florida Panthers are headed to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final. They smoked the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final to defend their conference title. Aleksander Barkov made one of the key offensive plays for the Panthers in the clinching game. Then on Monday, Barkov defended another title, winning his second straight Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward.

Barkov also won the Selke in 2021 and has three other top-five finishes. Throughout his Panthers career, he has been one of the elite two-way players in the league. That was highlighted in the 2021-22 season, when he scored 39 goals and finished third in Selke voting. And that has been on display in the playoffs for the last three seasons.

Barkov blew out Panthers teammate Sam Reinhart for the Selke Trophy. Third in voting was Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli, who has also shown his 200-foot prowess on the biggest stages. Some notable names down the board are Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner, who adds a seventh-place finish to his resume before free agency, and Golden Knights center Jack Eichel.

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The Panthers are a dominant playoff team because they are strong on both sides of the ice. Sergei Bobrovsky has been spectacular in the past three postseasons, and Paul Maurice's defensive schemes are strong. That leaves it open for the Panthers forwards to jump on loose pucks and dominate in the offensive zone. Barkov is a part of both sides and a big reason they have made it this far again.

In addition to his defensive specialties, Barkov has scored 20 goals in ten consecutive seasons. He will be 30 years old on opening night next year and just 14 goals away from 300 in his career. With another Stanley Cup this month, Barkov could cement his Hall of Fame legacy before turning 30.

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final is Wednesday night.