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Aleksander Barkov Profile


Aleksander Barkov
Ht/Wt: 6' 2"/209 lbs
Position: C
Team: Tappara (FIN)



Aleksander Barkov's Player Profile

Barkov is one of the greatest NHL Entry Draft prospects to ever come out of Finland. He is a tremendously advanced player, with elite hockey sense. He regularly logged 20 minutes this season, which is rare for a September-born 17-year-old in Finland's top league. He has an incredible amount of patience, vision, and awareness. He can slow the game down and dictate the tempo, as well as be the focal point on the power play. He also has a high level of defensive skill, showing ability at a very young age to be a quality defensive center. He has good technique on faceoffs, as he keeps his hands low, pulling pucks back quickly. Despite having good puck skills, he is not a player who will consistently try to stickhandle around players. He is selective, but he has the talent to create offense out of nothing. Barkov is a big, strong player. He will not crash and bang, but he protects the puck well. His skating is a tick below average. It is possible he could improve to an average skater, but his game will not be predicated on blazing past defenders. When bringing the puck out of his zone, he tends to prefer making a good pass rather than rushing the puck up.
Submitted by: Corey Pronman of Hockey Prospectus. Click here for Pronman's draft rankings

“He’s a 6-foot-3 center. His dad is a Russian who played in Russia and then finished his career in Finland, which is where the family settled, so that’s why he plays for Finland in all the international tournaments. He’s a combination of a goal-scorer and a playmaker. He played the past two years in the Finnish Elite League and this past year was very impressive. He was top 10 in scoring in the men’s league as a 17-year-old. The one thing that’s interesting about this kid is that we’ve never ever seen him play in his own age group at some of the international tournaments. When they had the U-17 championships, he was the third-line center of the Finnish World Juniors team. He’s big, he’s mobile, he’s a very good skater, he’s got puck handling ability and he’s a good defensive player.”

Caveat: “He had a shoulder problem, a dislocation. We have not received all the X-Rays yet, and you don’t want to drop a guy due to injury, but you certainly do all the checking you can about how the procedures went and everything. Hopefully he’s back and healthy. He’s a candidate to go very high in the Draft.”

Comparable NHL Players: Joe Thornton or Patrick Marleau

Scouting report from Lightning director of amateur scouting Al Murray on Lightning.NHL.com - May 16th 2013

Not very many players in the history of Finnish hockey can say they’ve made it to the SM-Liiga at Age 16. Even fewer can say they had a 20-goal season at Age 17. One who can is Tampere native Aleksander Barkov. The 6-foot-2 pivot might be cerebral to some, but make no mistake, he’s one of the top offensive players you’ll find in this draft.

Barkov’s touch around the net and in the offensive zone are exceptional while his vision makes him a complete package. At this point his skating is the main area of concern, but like players such as John Tavares before him, we’re hedging our bets that as his skating improves, his skill will only be extrapolated.
Submitted by: The Scouting Report

When I first glanced at the Finnish roster in Lake Placid and saw the Barkov name I instantly thought where is the Russian tie. Supposedly his dad competed internationally and his mother played on the Russian national basketball team, so you know where the athleticism stems from. He is already a good-sized center man at 6’2” 205 lbs. as he is actually two weeks shy of being eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft as late ’95 birthday. He was the youngest player out on the ice at the Herb Brooks Arena this summer. You could see he was a bit younger by his approach to the game being a tad apprehensive, although he also displayed at times his deceptive moves and skill sets. He is an intelligent player at 16-years old, shows poise with the puck, and good offensive instincts. Overall, he is a valuable all-around player who will return to Finland’s WJC roster for a second go-a-round and garner considerable NHL attention this season.
Submitted by: Russ Bitely from the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp – U20 Team Finland – Lake Placid, NY – August 4th-11th

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Aleksander Barkov Videos

Aleksander Barkov Highlights


Aleksander Barkov - Ready For Season 2012/13 @ NHL Draft 2013 Top Prospect


Alexander Barkov Jr. 2011



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