Panthers' Aleksander Barkov Wins 2020-21 Frank J. Selke Trophy

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov was announced Friday as the winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy for being the NHL's best defensive forward during the 2020-21 season.

Barkov edged out fellow finalists Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and Mark Stone of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Selke Trophy, which is named after the Hall of Fame general manager with Montreal and Toronto, has been awarded since the 1977-78 season. Canadiens winger Bob Gainey took home the honor in each of the first four years it was awarded.

Barkov was one of the league's best two-way players this season. He registered over a point per game (26 goals and 32 assists in 50 appearances) while also taking care of business defensively.

At even strength, the 25-year-old Finnish center registered a 59.4 Fenwick For percentage despite 46.2 percent of his faceoffs coming in the defensive zone, per Hockey Reference. His relative Fenwick was also plus-7.7 percent at even strength, showing his defensive prowess compared to his teammates.

Barkov becomes the first Panthers player to win the Selke, and he's the third straight first-time winner of the award, joining the St. Louis Blues' Ryan O'Reilly and Philadelphia Flyers' Sean Couturier.