REPORT: Panthers Nearing Eight-Year, $80 Million Extension With Barkov

Aleksander Barkov is going to be sticking around in Florida for the foreseeable future.

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Panthers’ captain has inked an eight-year contract extension worth $80,000,000, good for a $10,000,000 annual cap hit.

The Panthers drafted Barkov with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft and he has since evolved into one of the league’s best two-way centers.

Aleksander Barkov, signed 8x$10M by FLA, is one of the top players in the NHL, a dominant offensive player who attacks with speed, manages the puck better than anybody in the league, and is a pain in the ass to play against. #FlaPanthers pic.twitter.com/b7II7blt6a

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) October 8, 2021

In 2021, Barkov scored 26 goals and put up 58 points in 56 games, helping the Panthers to their best season in franchise history, in which they put up a 37-14-5 record. Barkov was also awarded with the Selke Trophy for the league’s top defensive forward for the first time in his career.

Through eight seasons in the NHL, Barkov has scored 181 goals and 465 points over 529 games. He ranks second in all-time points in Panthers’ history behind only teammate Jonathan Huberdeau and he leads the franchise in all-time goals.

Barkov, who just turned 26 in September, carries a $5,900,000 cap hit for 2021-22 and was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Huberdeau has two years left on his contract, also at $5,900,000 annually, and will be eligible for an extension next summer.