Captain Barkov Makes Bold Statement on Florida as Panthers Marks Playoffs Lead

It’s no secret now that Aleksander Barkov and the Florida Panthers have been gliding their way through the 2025 playoffs with some telepathic levels of balance, chemistry, and depth. Or maybe it’s something more simple. “I feel like we just stuck with it. That’s what we do. We work hard. If we do that, we’ll get our bounces, and that’s what happened,” said Jesper Boqvist. Though they managed to make their way into the finals in 2023, many of those round 3 wins could be attributed to single tie breakers in overtime, and while 2024 was obviously victorious, their performance this year has been exemplary, right from Bobrovsky to the D line to the men in front.

While Paul Maurice has made it a point to commend Sergei Bobrovsky for his stellar performance between the pipes this postseason—for context, he has had three shutout games this playoff season—saying, “I think we just totally take them for granted, which is what happens to all elite goaltenders.” However, while Bobrovsky has certainly shined bright this off-season, it’s the men on the blue line who are catching a lot of attention at the moment, with seven of Florida’s defenders scoring goals these playoffs! Not only that, but according to the NHL, Florida has had a defenseman score in each of their last four games.

In a recent segment of NHL on TNT, Florida’s captain Aleksander Barkov was asked to comment on the fact that Florida’s blue liners have been performing above their payroll by scoring aside from defending and had this to say in response: “It’s great to have those guys like you can give them the puck, and obviously they’re going to make plays from there, they’re going to shoot the puck, they’re going to get it to the net, and forwards just have one job to do, to get to the net, and also, like you said, every single defenseman has scored pretty much in this playoff, so that means a lot.”

Aaron Ekblad, Nate Schmidt, Niko Mikkola, and Seth Jones are the leading goal scorers amongst defensemen for Florida at the moment with 3 each and have certainly helped propel Aleksander Barkov and the boys through the first 3 rounds (Let’s be honest, round 3 is looking like it’s Florida’s at this point). But could this be what helps this team to retain their cup for another year?

What do Aleksander Barkov’s defensemen have to do with the Stanley Cup?

The effect that the men on the blue line are having on the team is not going unnoticed by them themselves. Aaron Ekblad, who came into this series with a huge weight on his shoulders—having to prove himself to his fans after his twenty-game suspension—has scored three goals this season, which is the most he’s scored in any playoff season in his career.

When asked about the depth scoring in Florida in a recent interview, Ekblad said, “Depth scoring in the playoffs is extremely important, and to have D get in on that…and a lot of guys, it’s been great. I love it.” In fact, Aaron Ekblad became only the second ever Panther to have 30 career playoff points to his name.

Florida’s depth scoring has been a topic of conversation for a while now and has seriously upped their chances, statistically speaking, of winning the whole thing again.

Seth Jones is another defenseman that deserves some commendation here; not only has he been scoring and providing his teammates with assists, but his defense game has been strong. In game 7 of the series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, it was Seth Jones who opened the scoring, scored an assist, and managed Auston Matthews in a tense 5-on-5 situation.

According to MoneyPuck Florida now has a 54.2% chance of winning the cup, which is more than double that of the other four remaining contenders, and if this is the case, it should probably be the men on the blue line heading that first lift!

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