Panthers captain Barkov wins Selke Trophy as NHL’s best defensive forward

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward, the league announced Saturday night.

Barkov is a two-time Selke winner after also finishing first in voting for the award in 2021. He was a big part of the Panthers allowing the fewest goals this season and won 57.3 per cent of his faceoffs, ranking ninth among players with at least 50 games and 500 attempts.

The 28-year-old centre from Finland received 156 of 194 first-place votes from members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and was listed on all but two ballots. Toronto Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews and Carolina Hurricanes centre Jordan Staal were the other finalists.

In the playoffs, Barkov has led Florida to a second consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference final.