PANTHERS STAR SIGNS $80M DEAL

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, pictured, has signed an eight-year, Us$80-million contract extension, multiple media outlets reported Friday. The deal is the richest in franchise history, eclipsing the seven-year, US$70 million contract signed by two-time Vezina Trophy recipient Sergei Bobrovsky in July 2019. Barkov is in the final season of a six-year, US$35.4 million contract. The 26-year-old received the Frank J. Selke

Trophy last season, an annual honour given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game. Barkov recorded a team-high 26 goals and 32 assists in 50 games last season, the sixth straight campaign in which he has scored at least 20 goals. Barkov has amassed 465 points (181 goals, 284 assists) in 529 career games since being selected by the Panthers with the second overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft.