Since he was originally drafted second overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers, the hockey world had always considered Aleksander Barkov to be a good two-way center.
For years, he had always been deemed as an underrated player, receiving minimal recognition around the league. But, after his breakout 96-point season last year, Barkov is starting to get the league-wide attention he deserves.
The hockey world is starting to take notice of the superstar captain that resides in South Florida. Teams put up their top lines against him on a nightly basis, yet they still seem to struggle against his relentless forecheck and firepower offense.