Barkov, Tkachuk form backbone of roster.

One has been a mainstay on the Florida Panthers’ roster for a decade. He has grown from a quiet point producer to a slightly less quiet team captain, the player everyone on the team points to as its undisputed leader in the dressing room and who many refer to as one of the best (albeit underrated) two-way centers in the league who rarely takes a penalty.

The other is the fresh-faced newcomer on the roster yet a burgeoning star in his own right with a lot of spunk and a lot of skill to back it up. He’s the brash, tell-it-like-it-is 25year-old whom Florida acquired in the blockbuster trade of the offseason last summer to give the Panthers some muchneeded edge.

Together, these two juxtaposing forces in Aleksander “Sasha” Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk form the backbone of this Panthers roster both in the present and the future. Both are locked-in to eight-year deals, keeping them under contract through the 20292030 season.

Together, they represented the hometown Panthers at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game at their home arena, Sunrise’s FLA Arena, on Saturday and were key in the Atlantic Division winning the event. Tkachuk was named MVP after scoring four combined goals and tallying three assists in the Atlantic’s two wins — 10-6 over the Metro in the semifinal and 7-5 over the Central in the final. Barkov had three assists in the first game and picked up a fourth in the final.

“The cornerstone will be represented,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “They should be here.”

The two are part of a bigger plan than just representing Florida at All-Star Games. They are the centerpieces to what the Panthers hope will be long-term sustainability and success. It hasn’t worked out so far this season. Florida entered the All-Star Break with a 24-22-6 record and is facing an uphill climb for a wild-card spot in the Stanley Cup play