Poll: Which Active Players Will Become An NHL GM?
The connection between NHL playing careers and front office roles has existed for nearly as long as the league itself. Some of the most highly-regarded executives – from Glen Sather in the 1980s to Jim Nill today – began their journeys with a decade-or-more in NHL lineups. Looking at the league in 2025-26, there seems to be no shortage of potential NHL executives currently putting on the pads. The question is, which of them will make it to the big chair first?
A clear top candidate would be Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby – the face of the NHL for much of the last 20 years. Crosby has become synonymous with North American hockey through his historical playing career, while learning from player-turned-owner and fellow all-time-great Mario Lemieux. That leadership could soon be invaluable. Crosby will face the question of if he should play on, or if now is the time to call it quits, in the second half of next season. If he wants to prolong his time on an NHL payroll beyond his time in the lineup, he could have a great chance to learn under Kyle Dubas and alongside Jason Spezza in the Penguins front office.
Another strong candidate for a GM role will be Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. Former NHL GM Brian Burke recently said as much on The Sheet With Jeff Marek while speaking to how much he admires Landeskog’s professionalism. There is no doubt about the Avalanche star’s commitment to the game, most notably highlighted by his triumphant return from a severe knee injury. Landeskog played through that injury during Colorado’s run to the 2022 Stanley Cup. On the other side of his return, he continues to serve as a versatile and effective playmaker who can shine off without top-line minutes. He is currently part of a three-way tie for second on the Avalanche in playoff scoring with seven points in six games. With that kind of impact, there will be plenty of hockey ahead for the 33 year old, who is signed through the 2028-29 season. But when his career nears its end, a door to team management could quickly open.
Prior playing experience could also open the door for more European representation in front office roles. Landeskog would become the second Swedish GM in NHL history, while a player like Anze Kopitar could shoot to become the first from central Europe should he choose that path. Kopitar is hanging up his skates after the Los Angeles Kings’ exit from the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He had the third-most games played of any active NHL player this season. Every single one of those games came in a Kings’ jersey, with Kopitar captaining the team through the final 10 seasons of his career. All-time goals record holder Alex Ovechkin has also spent the entirety of his career with one team and could wield the experience needed to become the league’s first Russian GM.
Of course, playing success does not create a top exec – and many of the league’s top leaders could also have a chance. Longtime pros Jaccob Slavin, Nathan MacKinnon, Ryan O’Reilly, and Aleksander Barkov have all been recognized for their sportsmanship with the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. The trophy was also handed out to former Avalanche GM Joe Sakic and soon-to-be-former Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis. Its recognition of on-and-off-ice impact would stand out on any resume, especially next to the Stanley Cup precedent that MacKinnon, O’Reilly, and Barkov boast. It is also a feat managed multiple times by Kopitar, who could win the trophy again this season.
Many players around the league could put together a strong case for a managerial role. Who will do it first? Who will find another long career in the role? Vote for your choice below and use the comments to make a case for other players!
Which Active Players Will Become An NHL GM?
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PIT - Sidney Crosby 35% (217)
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COL - Gabriel Landeskog 33% (204)
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LAK - Anze Kopitar 14% (84)
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Other (Comment below) 12% (75)
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COL - Nathan MacKinnon 5% (33)
Total votes: 613
Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov To Play At World Championship
Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov missed the entirety of the 2025-26 season with a knee injury sustained during training camp. On the other side of a losing year for the Panthers, Barkov is finally nearing a return to game action. The star center is expected to play for Team Finland at the 2026 World Championship, Florida head coach Paul Maurice told George Richards of Florida Hockey Now.
Barkov is a cornerstone piece of every lineup he’s apart of. The 30 year old scored 20 goals and 71 points in 67 games of the 2024-25 NHL season. He capped the year off with 22 points in 23 games en route to a 2025 Stanley Cup championship, the same point total and outcome that he reached in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Barkov was the first European captain to lead his team to back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Routine playoff appearances have kept Barkov from appearing in many of Finland’s international tournaments as of late. He captained the Finns at the 2025 4-Nations Face-Off and scored two points in three games. Outside of that, his last appearance with Finland was at the 2017 World Cup, where he posted no scoring in three games. Barkov has played in two World Championships – marked by 16 points in 17 games – and the 2014 Winter Olympics where he had one point in two games.
Each of those international appearances were on the other side of Barkov’s ascension towards superstardom. He has won three Selke Trophies as the league’s best defensive-forward and consistently earned votes for the Hart Memorial Trophy and Lady Byng Memorial Trophy since his 2017 World Cup appearance. Barkov also won the 2025 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, awarded on the basis of leadership and humanitarian contribution. He also became a franchise owner of the Liiga’s Tappara, part of Finland’s top pro league, in 2020. Barkov has grown into a face of Finnish hockey in North America and routinely rivals point-per-game scoring in the NHL.
It is with the weight of a missed NHL season – and a missed Olympic Games – that Barkov will now enter the 2026 World Championship. He will be among the Finns’ biggest scoring threats and could challenge the most ice time on the team each game. Finland will also lean on Florida’s Anton Lundell and Seattle Kraken winger Kaapo Kakko to bolster their lineup, with much of the country’s top NHL talent headed towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Either way, Barkov’s return will be far more than the addition of one more player. It will also give the reigning Cup captain a chance to get back to full speed before the 2026-27 campaign is underway.
Aleksander Barkov Returns To Practice
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov appeared to be lost for the season when he tore both his ACL and MCL in his right knee on his first day of training camp. He’s been pushing for an early return, though, and has been doing light skating work on his own as part of his rehab since the end of December. That culminated in Barkov joining the team for a practice session, albeit in a non-contact jersey, for the first time this morning, the team’s Jameson Olive relays.
Florida and Barkov both hoped that if he did push the envelope for his return, it would be with the intent of captaining them to a third straight Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, a wide range of other impactful injuries completely derailed the Cats’ season. They’re not technically eliminated from playoff contention, but, with 19 games to go, are third-last in the East and sit 11 points back of a playoff spot. Their chances of making the playoffs are down to just 1.5%, per MoneyPuck, with a greater chance at winning the draft lottery for the first overall pick.
With that in mind, there’s little reason to work him into the lineup if he’s anything less than 100%. Outside of Sergei Bobrovsky, all of Florida’s core is signed long-term and still has a chance at multiple deep playoff runs with their group. Those long-term hopes will be dashed if Barkov sustains any additional damage or prevents his knee from fully healing, though.
Nonetheless, one of the most competitive individuals in the sport will bite at the chance to get back on the ice, even if it’s for a few ultimately meaningless games at the end of the schedule. It’s incredibly rare for a player of Barkov’s caliber to miss an entire season in his prime. Even the most notable examples this century, Peter Forsberg in 2001-02 and Nikita Kucherov in 2020-21, saw their clubs make the postseason without them and return to be their club’s top contributors on long playoff runs.
Hopefully, the fact that Barkov’s recovery has seemingly gone as smoothly as it has is a promising sign that he’ll hit the ground running in the fall for his age-31 season. He’s won back-to-back Selke Trophies and has passed the point-per-game threshold six times in the last seven seasons.
Injury Notes: Rangers, Matthews, Barkov
This afternoon’s action was especially tough for the Rangers, as the team shared that Noah Laba (upper body) and Conor Sheary (lower body) did not return, as they lost to Washington. It was not immediately specified, but Laba’s injury is likely related to the heavy hit he sustained from Tom Wilson, while Sheary’s ailment was not as glaringly noticeable.
Laba, a rookie, has not yet missed a game this season, posting 12 points in 42 games mostly in a third line role. Sheary, meanwhile, has been scratched this season, with just one goal in 37 games, production far from his past as a dependable secondary scorer. Although their forward depth has taken a hit, thankfully the Blueshirts welcomed back top defenseman Adam Fox today, who made an immediate impact with a goal and an assist.
Now set to travel to Miami and take on the Panthers under the eyes of the hockey world in the 2026 NHL Winter Classic, a roster move may be in order if neither are able to play. Brennan Othmann, a scratch today, could slot into the marquee game on January 2.
Elsewhere across the league:
- This morning Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews returned to practice, as shared by Dave McCarthy of NHL.com. The superstar was listed as day-to-day yesterday with a lower-body injury, which happened from a blocked shot last Sunday. In his absence, the Leafs picked up a shutout win over New Jersey, but now Matthews could be in line to return by tomorrow, as the team hosts Winnipeg. Toronto dodged a bullet with Matthews’ status, and will seek a rapid turnaround in the New Year on the back of the 28-year-old sniper once healthy.
- Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has begun light skating, as reported in a Hockey News article by David Dwork. After suffering a devastating ACL and MCL injury in the first practice of training camp, Barkov still has a long way to go, but today’s update is encouraging news entering 2026. The injury riddled Panthers have stayed afloat, and with Matthew Tkachuk nearing a return, Florida will look to secure a playoff spot and set the table for Barkov to possibly join the group by March. If healthy come postseason, the two-time reining Selke winner would give Florida a real shot at the first Stanley Cup three-peat since the Islanders 40 years ago.
Panthers Sign Noah Gregor To Two-Way Deal
The Panthers announced Tuesday that they’ve agreed to terms with forward Noah Gregor on a two-way contract. He had been in training camp on a professional tryout agreement. The deal carries an NHL salary of $775K and an AHL salary of $450K, according to PuckPedia. In a pair of corresponding moves, the team also reversed yesterday’s paper demotion of winger Mackie Samoskevich to AHL Charlotte and moved Aleksander Barkov from standard injured reserve to long-term injured reserve, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports. Gregor’s contract won’t be registered with the league until those two moves are formalized, as Florida doesn’t have the cap space to add him to the roster until after gaining relief from Barkov’s LTIR placement.
While Gregor wasn’t on the opening night roster that Florida formally registered with the league last night, he will be eligible to play in tonight’s season opener against the Blackhawks. The six-year NHL vet made four preseason appearances for the Cats, scoring a goal and an assist while adding seven hits and a blocked shot in over 17 minutes of ice time per game. He won’t get nearly that much deployment in the regular season. The 27-year-old center has only averaged 12:19 of ice time per game across 293 career contests, and that figure has been trending down over the past few years.
It wasn’t all that surprising to see Gregor need to settle for a tryout. He also required one to land a contract with the Maple Leafs in 2023, and he has now been non-tendered for three consecutive years. That streak will end next offseason as he’ll be eligible for outright unrestricted free agency. The Alberta native is coming off his worst showing since emerging as an NHL regular with the Sharks in 2020. Splitting the year between Ottawa and San Jose, he tied a career-worst -21 rating in 52 appearances while making minimal offensive contributions – just four goals and three assists. While his high-end skating has always generated intrigue, it has rarely translated into a legitimate offensive impact. He’s only hit the 10-goal and 20-point marks once in a single season.
Nonetheless, he showed out well enough in Florida’s camp to earn another deal. The Panthers are in desperate need of cheap forward depth, as they’re virtually capped out despite starting the year with all of Barkov, Tomáš Nosek, and Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve thanks to the new rule that teams are limited to the previous year’s average salary (~$3.82MM in this case) in LTIR relief per player if their injury isn’t season-ending. After Gregor averaged only 11:06 per game last season, he’ll presumably be in the Cats’ fourth-line rotation along with returnees Jonah Gadjovich and A.J. Greer, late-offseason signing Luke Kunin, and preseason waiver claim Cole Schwindt. The two-way structure indicates he’s a candidate to end up on waivers when Nosek or Tkachuk is ready to return, depending on who comes back first.
As for Samoskevich, his quiet demotion yesterday was essential to Florida’s initial salary cap setup. The team submitted their opening night roster, which excluded the waiver-exempt Samoskevich and included Nosek and Tkachuk on LTIR, but listed Barkov on standard IR. That left the Panthers $4.55MM over the cap but with $4.6MM in relief from Nosek and Tkachuk. That set their initial LTIR capture within $50K of the maximum relief. Moving Barkov to LTIR then opens up an additional $3.82MM in space, which they used to recall Samoskevich (who also carries a $775K cap hit) and sign Gregor. After all those transactions are officially completed, the Panthers will have $2.27MM remaining in their LTIR pool, per PuckPedia.
Samoskevich, Florida’s 2021 first-round pick, will be in tonight’s lineup, presumably in a top-nine role. The 22-year-old finished 11th in Calder Trophy voting for the league’s top rookie last year with 15 goals and 31 points in 72 games.
Today’s moves also officially leave the door open for Barkov to suit up for Florida in the playoffs. He’s expected back sometime between late April and late June after he blew up his right ACL and MCL in his first practice of training camp, requiring surgery.
Evening Notes: Markstrom, Willander, Mancini, NHL Top 10
The New Jersey Devils could be the next team to extend their starting goaltender. On the heels of a five-year, $34MM contract extension for Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson, the Devils are now working out a new deal for Jacob Markstrom, per The Fourth Period. Markstrom is entering the final year of a six-year, $36MM contract originally signed with the Calgary Flames in 2020.
Markstrom earned a second-place finish in Vezina Trophy voting on the second year of his last contract, after posting 37 wins and a .922 save percentage in 63 games of the Flames’ 2021-22 season. He fell drastically in 2022, landing at a .895 save percentage in 59 games with Calgary, and only rebounded to a .905 in 48 games of 2023-24. That prompted a summer trade to greener pastures, landing Markstrom with a playoff contender in the New Jersey Devils. He posted a middling .900 save percentage in 49 games of his first season with the Devils. That’s far from the .910 mark that Markstrom routinely challenged at his peak, but on a well-rounded Devils squad, average numbers from the aging veteran have proven supportive enough. He is sure to take a big hit on both term and salary in his next contract, which could take him through the rest of his career.
Other notes from across the league:
- The Vancouver Canucks made a pair of important decisions earlier today. They have assigned top defense prospects Tom Willander and Victor Mancini to the minor-leagues, after both clung to the camp roster to nearly the final day. Mancini played his first full season in the pros last year. It was certainly eventful, spread between NHL and AHL ice time with the New York Rangers and Canucks, and ending with a Calder Cup win with the Abbotsford Canucks. In total, he recorded eight points in 31 NHL games and 21 points in 54 AHL games on the season. Meanwhile, Tom Willander was a core piece of the National Championship runner-up, the Boston University Terriers. He posted 24 points in 39 games with the club – one point fewer, in one game more, than he managed in his freshman season. Willander is nonetheless a pillar of consistency on both ends of the ice, and will look to prove that soon with his pro debut in Abbotsford.
- The NHL has announced their top-10 players, wrapping up their Top 50 Players series just two days before Opening Night. The list is, of course, headlined by Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid. His teammate, Leon Draisaitl, holds the third spot, while Colorado Avalanche superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar hold #2 and #4 respectively. The rest of the list includes, in turn: Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Jets goalie and reigning MVP Connor Hellebuyck, Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Canucks defender Quinn Hughes. It’s hard to argue any other names should be featured on the list, though Panthers fans may feel salt in the wound seeing their captain, and perennial Selke Trophy candidate, landing in the top-10 on the heels of a season-ending injury.
Aleksander Barkov Undergoing Knee Surgery, Out Seven To Nine Months
6:04 PM: The team released an update on Barkov, noting that he sustained injuries to his ACL and MCL. The surgery has now been performed and carries a typical recovery time between seven and nine months. The short end of that timeline would potentially give him a chance of returning in the second round of the playoffs while the long end would mean that he would miss the entire postseason as well.
10:39 AM: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov needs surgery to repair the right knee injury he sustained in his first practice session of training camp yesterday, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now reports. There’s no timeline for his return, and there’s fear he could miss the entire season, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
There is a clear video of yesterday’s incident. Barkov had a low-speed collision with teammate Niko Mikkola, bending as if he were attempting a hip check, which caused Mikkola’s weight to come down on top of him. He landed awkwardly on his right leg under pressure and was unable to get up without assistance (via WPLG Local 10 News).
A gargantuan hole now exists on the Cats’ first line, a position Barkov has held ever since entering the league as an 18-year-old in 2013. The back-to-back Selke Trophy winner is smack-dab in the middle of his prime at age 30 and is widely regarded as the best two-way center in the game, and for good reason. He’s now rattled off five straight seasons above a point per game, averaging a 33-62–95 scoring line per 82 games since the 2020-21 campaign. He’s also logged a cumulative +92 rating during that time and has won 56.1% of his draws. He reached new heights on the possession front last year, logging a career-high 60.8% Corsi share at even strength.
While the Panthers’ forward depth has been the hallmark of their back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, it’s already getting stretched thin. They’re now down two stars for at least the first few months of the season as Matthew Tkachuk recovers from offseason adductor surgery. Not having Barkov available down the middle also amplifies the impact of relatively minor injuries like Tomas Nosek‘s. The natural pivot would have been in line to swallow up expanded bottom-six minutes normally, but he also underwent knee surgery recently and will miss multiple months.
This season’s new rules surrounding long-term injured reserve will now have a significant impact on the Panthers’ approach. If a player is not expected to miss the entire season, a team only unlocks the equivalent of last year’s league average salary – roughly $3.8MM in this case – in relief. That does not change based on the number of players on LTIR. If the Panthers were to make Barkov ineligible to play in the regular season or playoffs, though, they could unlock Barkov’s full $10MM cap hit worth of relief, assuming they optimize their capture correctly.
Florida already entered the season in a precarious position, projecting to exceed the cap by $4.5MM, per PuckPedia. While Barkov’s injury is a significant blow to their lineup, there’s now an easy out for them to achieve cap compliance by the time opening night rosters are due by ruling him ineligible to return this season, even giving them room to add a significant salary via trade to help shoulder his absence.
Until then, all eyes are on Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell to anchor Florida’s top two lines. Bennett has been a stellar second-line pivot for the Cats since his arrival in 2021, and although he’s fresh off signing an eight-year, $64MM extension, he’s never been tested in a top-line role. There’s an argument to be made that Lundell, the 12th overall pick of the 2020 draft, should see the greater increase in minutes. He’s filled in on the top line during short-term absences for Barkov in the past and has been a more effective per-minute producer than Bennett. The soon-to-be 24-year-old is also locked up long-term and had a career-high 45 points in 79 appearances last year, averaging 16:43 per game and winning 53% of his draws.
The Panthers have a few options to fill the domino effect and replace Lundell as the No. 3 center. Evan Rodrigues, frequently a top-six complementary winger, is a natural pivot and has taken over 2,500 draws in his 10-year career. He might be a better fit in the role compared to other potential flex-overs like Eetu Luostarinen, who the Cats would presumably like to keep with Lundell and sustain the chemistry they’ve built in consistent deployment together over the past few years.
There’s also now a clear opening for PTO invites, Noah Gregor and Tyler Motte to land NHL deals. Both now clearly slot in among the Panthers’ top 14 forwards with Barkov, Nosek, and Tkachuk all sidelined.
Image courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.
Aleksander Barkov Wins Frank J. Selke Trophy, King Clancy Memorial Trophy
The NHL has announced that Florida Panthers centerman Aleksander Barkov is the winner of the 2024-25 Frank J. Selke Trophy and King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the forward who exhibits the best defensive acumen. The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off of the ice. This is the third time that Barkov has won the Selke, and the first time he has won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.
Full voting results can be found here, courtesy of The Athletic’s Chris Johnston.
Barkov joins prestigious company with his third Selke win. He now sits alongside NHL stars Pavel Datsyuk, Guy Carbonneau, and Jere Lehtinen as the only players to have won the award three different times. Only two players rank above the quartet – legendary Bruins centerman Patrice Bergeron with six wins, and former Montreal Canadiens captain Bob Gainey with four wins..
Barkov’s place among greats is certainly fitting. He has built a strong reputation as a tireless worker – with the pace to win puck battles; the strength to win physical battles; and the tenacity to force opportune turnovers. Barkov posted the fourth-best xGA/60 (expected goals-against per 60-minutes) among all forwards with at least 850 minutes of ice time this season, per Evolving Hockey. Of note, no players ahead of him filled such a prominent top-end role for their club. In fact, Barkov’s 1.93 xGA/60 this season was far-and-away a career-best – trumping his previous best-mark of 1.97 set in the 2014-15 season.
It’s Barkov’s tenacity, drive, and ability to shutdown opponents that earned him both the Selke Trophy and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. He embodied a lead-by-example style and has carried Florida to new heights as a result. The team has developed into a true modern-day dynasty, slated to appear in their third-consecutive Stanley Cup Final beginning this week. Florida lost in their first appearance, but managed to defeat the Edmonton Oilers to win the first Cup in franchise history last season. The Conn Smythe Trophy for 2024 playoff MVP controversially went to Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, though Barkov was the second-place vote on 15 of the 17 ballots.
Interestingly, the 2024-25 season will also mark the first time in Selke Trophy history that teammates will finish as the top two finalists, with winger Sam Reinhart ranking second behind Barkov. Reinhart was one of the only players to post a better xGA/60 than Barkov this season, though their marks are only separated by 0.01. Reinhart finished fourth in Selke voting last season. The pair of Panthers finish ahead of Florida compatriot and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli.
Atlantic Notes: Peterka, Woodcroft, Panthers
In his new trade board entering the offseason, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff opines that Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka is the top trade target. Peterka tied for second in scoring among Sabres players this season and will become a restricted free agent on July 1st.
Seravalli writes that several teams put together offers at the trade deadline for Peterka, but Buffalo General Manager Kevyn Adams had no interest in trading him. Despite Seravalli’s claim that a ‘change of scenery’ is in order, it’s difficult to imagine the Sabres moving on from one of their top forwards this summer.
Still, Peterka has come into his own over the last two years, scoring 55 goals and 118 points in 159 games, with 93 of those points coming at even strength. It is reasonable to assume that Buffalo would receive a generous offer for Peterka, but he seems like a player the team should want to keep around for the long term. According to PuckPedia, the Sabres will have more than $23MM entering the offseason, giving them plenty of flexibility to seek a long-term contract with Peterka.
Other notes from the Atlantic Division:
- Despite Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love and Ontario Reign head coach Marco Sturm being labelled as the finalists for the Boston Bruins head coaching vacancy, Jimmy Murphy of RG has heard otherwise. Murphy posited that the Bruins have already begun ‘talking money’ with coaching candidate Jay Woodcroft, but admits that Love and Sturm are still in the mix. There have not been other specific indications that the Bruins are negotiating a deal with Woodcroft, as the situation regarding the Bruins’ head coaching remains very uncertain.
- In a humorous and candid quote, Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice describes the contrast between his team’s behaviour on the ice and off the ice. Giving most of the credit to captain Aleksander Barkov, Michael Russo of The Athletic writes about the Panthers’ tenacity, and sometimes dirty play during games, and their stout humility and respect in between puck drops. Recognizing this, Russo quoted Maurice, saying, “Have you ever shotgunned a beer? Have you ever been to church? Would you shotgun a beer in church? That doesn’t make you a hypocrite. There’s a context and a place for all things.“
Aleksander Barkov, Anthony Cirelli, Sam Reinhart Named Selke Trophy Finalists
Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, Lightning center Anthony Cirelli, and Panthers winger Sam Reinhart have been named Selke Trophy finalists for the 2024-25 season, the NHL announced.
According to the league, the award is given “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.” It’s voted on at the end of the regular season by media members, like most other major NHL honors, and has been in circulation since the 1977-78 campaign, with former Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron holding the record with six wins.
Despite the verbiage, the Selke is almost never given out to a pure shutdown forward, at least not anymore. More of a “best two-way forward” than “best defensive forward” honor in reality, Barkov headlines the list as he looks to take home the hardware in back-to-back years and for the third time in his career.
Now a four-time finalist, Barkov’s boxcar stats actually point toward a down year for the Stanley Cup champion Finn. His 1.06 points per game and plus-one rating were both post-COVID lows for the 29-year-old, but he still added 54 blocks, 87 hits, and a 56.5% win rate in the faceoff dot. A look at his possession numbers makes it easy to see why he’s continuously regarded as the game’s best two-way center, though. His 60.8% Corsi share at even strength this year was a career-high and led the team.
Stepping into the finalist’s circle for the first time is Barkov’s cross-state counterpart in Cirelli. The 27-year-old finished fourth in Selke voting in 2019-20 and fifth in 2021-22 but never cracked the top three. That changes this year on the heels of a season full of career-highs for Cirelli, who scored 27 goals, 32 assists, 59 points, and logged a +30 rating in 80 appearances. His 18:41 of ice time per game was also a career-high. While he doesn’t receive Barkov’s 5-on-5 deployment, Cirelli is Tampa’s top penalty-killing forward and finished seventh among forwards in plus-minus this season.
Reinhart is the unlikeliest candidate to win, although it’s not really in his control. A winger hasn’t won the award in over 20 years – the Stars’ Jere Lehtinen was the last to do it in 2003. The 29-year-old finished just outside of being a finalist last year during his career-defining 57-goal campaign, and his nomination means the Panthers are the first team with two Selke finalists in a season since the Red Wings’ Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg in 2007-08. He finished 2024-25 with a 39-42–81 scoring line, a plus-six rating, 103 hits, and a 59.2 CF% in 79 games.