Aleksander Barkov's return has the Cup-contending Florida Panthers smiling entering the season

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Panthers have noticed a change in Aleksander Barkov, a clear indicator that he is not the same since getting hurt a year ago and having to miss last season.

They've caught him ... smiling?

It has been a running joke around the Panthers for years, that Barkov — the team's best player, the underrated superstar, the Finnish captain of the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup champions and holder of many franchise records — never smiles. It's not entirely accurate, though it certainly has seemed like Barkov is cheerier these days than perhaps ever before.

“It’s awesome to see him happy, see him smile sometimes, and just enjoy playing hockey right now,” Panthers forward Anton Lundell said.

And when Barkov is happy, the Panthers are happier. In a room overflowing with talent — Olympic champions like brothers Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk, future Hall of Famers like Brad Marchand, elite goalscorers like Sam Reinhart, and a slew of past top-five draft picks like forward Sam Bennett and defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones — it's Barkov who sets the standard.

Barkov missed the entirety of the Panthers’ season a year ago after tearing the ACL and MCL in his right knee 20 minutes into training camp. The Panthers wound up missing the playoffs, and that’s not a coincidence. But with Barkov back, everything seems possible for a team widely expected to once again contend for hockey’s biggest prize.

“I’m so excited," Ekblad said. “I’m excited to just throw pucks up the middle of the ice. It could be hip-high or off his boots and he’ll find a way to grab it. I’m really excited to play with him again. We all know who Barky is and what he can do on the ice.”

Barkov's presence is such that Florida coach Paul Maurice often asks himself the same question when contemplating various on-ice strategies for his club. “What would Barky do?” And that, more often than not, serves as his guide. Maurice coaches Barkov, and it turns out, Barkov coaches Maurice as well.

“He makes the coach better, because I can be wrong," Maurice said. "But all I've got to do is put Barky on the ice and none of you guys are going to call me out on it, right? ‘Hey, Barky, you’re up.’ How hard is that, right? He makes you a better coach, so I missed being able to call his name.”

In the fantasy hockey, all-about-points world, Barkov probably isn't viewed as a star. He's never finished a season higher than 10th in the NHL points chase; his average finish on that chart over his most recent eight seasons was 24th. He's never been a 40-goal scorer. He's never been a 100-point guy. Given his penchant for turning down empty-net goals and opting to pass the puck elsewhere in those moments — something he's done multiple times in his career — it's clear that he isn't into his own stats anyway.

Present those numbers to anyone in the Panthers organization as proof that Barkov isn't among the elite of the elite, and you'll get laughed out of the rink. They point to the aggregate, the two-way play and the things not on a stat sheet.

Over his most recent 10 seasons, Barkov had 722 points, 485 hits and 463 blocked shots. No other NHL player reached those numbers in all three categories over those years; Toronto's Auston Matthews and Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele were the only others with at least 700 points, 400 hits and 400 blocks in that span.

“Anytime you can add a top three player in the world, that’s definitely a good thing," Matthew Tkachuk said. “So, we’re welcoming him back with open arms.”

Barkov returning is like a free agent acquisition in some ways. He was with the team for home games last season; Florida prevailed 23 times on home ice, a total topped by only nine of the NHL's other 31 clubs. He didn't travel because of his rehab schedule; Florida won only 17 times on the road, the eighth-lowest total in the league.

Translated: Even when he couldn't play, his mere presence had impact.

“He looks so good out there," Matthew Tkachuk said. "He’s just such a special player, even better person, which is crazy because of how good he is on the ice. On- and off-ice, he has just such a huge impact for this team, for this franchise, the city. He's the full package. And we need him back and he looks great.”

Barkov is a reluctant superstar, someone who still gets sheepish when approached by fans for an autograph or a selfie. He went to Miami Heat training camp a few days after getting hurt last season and was genuinely surprised at how many coaches and players from the NBA club wanted to talk with him.

“We love that guy,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We love everything he's about.”

That's the respect level Barkov commands. He doesn't want to be called Florida's best player, he doesn't want superstar treatment, he just wants to play hockey. Having it taken away from him for a full season made him more appreciative of being able to play.

And if he's smiling more these days, that's why.

“You just have to enjoy every single chance you get to play hockey, to be with your teammates, to go to every single practice, every single game," Barkov said. "You’ve got to be excited about that.”

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