Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Panthers' Aleksander Barkov takes home pair of awards
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The NHL has announced that Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov is the winner of the 2024-25 Frank J. Selke Trophy and King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

The Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the forward who exhibits the best defensive acumen. The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off of the ice. This is the third time that Barkov has won the Selke, and the first time he has won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

Full voting results can be found here, courtesy of The Athletic’s Chris Johnston.

Barkov joins prestigious company with his third Selke win. He now sits alongside NHL stars Pavel Datsyuk, Guy Carbonneau and Jere Lehtinen as the only players to have won the award three different times. Only two players rank above the quartet — legendary Bruins centerman Patrice Bergeron with six wins and former Montreal Canadiens captain Bob Gainey with four wins.

Barkov’s place among greats is certainly fitting. He has built a strong reputation as a tireless worker — with the pace to win puck battles; the strength to win physical battles; and the tenacity to force opportune turnovers. Barkov posted the fourth-best xGA/60 (expected goals-against per 60-minutes) among all forwards with at least 850 minutes of ice time this season, per Evolving Hockey

Of note, no players ahead of him filled such a prominent top-end role for their club. In fact, Barkov’s 1.93 xGA/60 this season was far-and-away a career-best — trumping his previous best-mark of 1.97 set in the 2014-15 season.

It’s Barkov’s tenacity, drive and ability to shutdown opponents that earned him both the Selke Trophy and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. He embodied a lead-by-example style and has carried Florida to new heights as a result. The team has developed into a true modern-day dynasty, slated to appear in their third-consecutive Stanley Cup Final beginning this week. Florida lost in its first appearance, but managed to defeat the Edmonton Oilers to win the first Cup in franchise history last season. 

The Conn Smythe Trophy for 2024 playoff MVP controversially went to Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, though Barkov was the second-place vote on 15 of the 17 ballots.

Interestingly, the 2024-25 season will also mark the first time in Selke Trophy history that teammates will finish as the top two finalists, with winger Sam Reinhart ranking second behind Barkov. Reinhart was one of the only players to post a better xGA/60 than Barkov this season, though their marks are only separated by 0.01. Reinhart finished fourth in Selke voting last season. The pair of Panthers finish ahead of Florida compatriot and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli.

This article first appeared on Pro Hockey Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Dominoes of Dubas Nearly Leaving Leafs for Different GM Job
NHL

Dominoes of Dubas Nearly Leaving Leafs for Different GM Job

Kyle Dubas’s half-decade as Toronto Maple Leafs general manager from 2018 to 2023 was the defining era of the franchise — one that not every Leafs fan remembers fondly. In a candid conversation on the Cam and Strick podcast, Dubas revealed that he almost left the Leafs organization when he was in the running to be the general manager of the Colorado Avalanche. Ultimately, he decided not to take the job because his mentor, Lou Lamoriello, convinced him to stay. What might have been? Dubas was Toronto’s assistant GM at the time and was pursued by Colorado. He said he spoke with Lamoriello and was convinced that Dubas knew the roster of the Leafs from top to bottom — players to the operation of the organization — and that, market size and other things aside, to stay in Toronto was best. “Lou’s view of it to me at the time was like you know everyone here, you know the players, you know the ins and outs of it,” Dubas said. “So, that was a big push for me to remain and do that.” Dubas Becomes Polarizing Maple Leafs GM When Lamoriello stepped down in 2018, Dubas was promoted to GM, and that set the stage for a series of deals that would reshape Toronto’s roster. Even though he viewed Lamoriello as a mentor — and still does — Dubas quickly made the Leafs his team. Dubas made a couple of smaller moves, but his first big splash came on July 1, 2018, when he signed John Tavares to a seven-year, $77 million contract. Tavares was the shiny win of that offseason, coming over from the New York Islanders and leaving an angry fan base behind to join his hometown dream team. The issue for many was what Dubas paid to get him when it arguably wasn’t needed. As good as Tavares was, his contract set a high benchmark for other star forwards like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner, contributing to the team’s salary cap struggles. Many felt the signing was unnecessary—especially since Nazem Kadri was already filling the second-line center role effectively. Kadri was eventually traded in 2019, in a deal that turned out to be a premature move and a big loss for the organization. On December 1, 2018, Nylander signed a six-year, $45 million contract after a lengthy holdout. Initially seen as an overpay since Nylander had only shown flashes of potential, Dubas bet on his future improvement. Nylander has since developed into a valuable player, but some argue the way Dubas handled his holdout and set a new marker for future negotiations was a mistake. Between February and September 2019, the Maple Leafs signed Auston Matthews to a five-year, $11.64 million AAV deal and Mitch Marner to a six-year, $10.9 million AAV contract. Like Nylander’s deal, these contracts paid more for potential rather than proven playoff success. Both players turned out to be stars, but each contract lacked maximum term and carried high average annual values, allowing Matthews and Marner to reach free agency sooner than ideal. On April 11, 2021, the Leafs traded three draft picks for Nick Foligno and Stefan Noesen. This trade is widely criticized as the worst under Dubas. Foligno contributed little, was injury-prone, and the Leafs lost valuable picks, making it a regrettable and unpopular deal among fans. The Leafs later traded for Jared McCann to avoid losing Alex Kerfoot in the expansion draft, but chose to protect Justin Holl. As a result, they lost McCann, who became one of Seattle’s top players. Zach Hyman was the biggest mistake not to re-sign. He has thrived in Edmonton alongside Connor McDavid, and the Leafs missed out on his top-six contributions at what is now seen as a bargain free agency price tag. What If Dubas Had Left Toronto in 2017? There were good things Dubas did while the GM in Toronto. It would be unfair to overlook them completely. That said, if Kyle Dubas had accepted the Avalanche GM role in 2017, Toronto’s front office and roster might have looked quite different. One could argue that the changes might not have been as drastic as suggested, given that the Toronto Maple Leafs hired Brendan Shanahan as team president on April 11, 2014. Many believe he was the puppet master behind most, if not all, of Dubas’ moves. Furthermore, Dubas hinted at trading Marner (or one of the Core Four) prior to being relieved of his duties in May of 2023. He arguably saw the error of his ways in holding on too long and was planning to make adjustments before losing the chance to do so. Still, Dubas’s moves in Pittsburgh since taking over have also been scrutinized, and the pattern emerging here is that he makes bold decisions that aren’t always wise. Undoubtedly, he made mistakes while at the helm in Toronto. It poses an interesting “what if” question, and not just in Toronto. What might he have done in Colorado if he’d been hired? Colorado’s rebuild could have accelerated with Dubas at the helm, or they might have faltered and not won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

Jon Gruden 'looking forward to having the truth come out' amid lawsuit against NFL
NFL

Jon Gruden 'looking forward to having the truth come out' amid lawsuit against NFL

Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL to ensure that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after some offensive emails that he sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.

Najee Harris may have role reduced after fireworks accident
NFL

Najee Harris may have role reduced after fireworks accident

Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris still has yet to return to action after a July 4 fireworks accident, and it sounds like he does not necessarily have a job guaranteed to him when he does. Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman admitted Tuesday that the team is planning a steady rotation at running back whether or not Harris is available to play in Week 1. First-round draft pick Omarion Hampton, however, is the player who has part of the rotation locked down, not Harris. The Chargers likely intended to use Harris as a part-time back no matter what. However, he certainly cannot have helped himself with his eye injury. The issue was described as superficial after it happened and Harris was expected to be ready for the season, but he is still on the non-football injury list and has yet to participate in a full practice. Harris, 27, is entering his first season with the Chargers after signing with them in March. He can earn up to $9.25 million on his one-year deal, but that will require him to remain part of the rotation with Hampton.

Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Thinks It Is Clear Preseason Hero Will Be Playing Elsewhere In 2025
NFL

Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Thinks It Is Clear Preseason Hero Will Be Playing Elsewhere In 2025

The Pittsburgh Steelers played their first preseason game of 2025 on Saturday, and the organization was able to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 31-25. The offense looked surprisingly good in the game, although it was mostly backups playing in the contest outside of the offensive line. The passing game was efficient, and both Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson looked good in the game. Logan Woodside came in at the end, but he didn't attempt a pass. The offensive player of the night was certainly Thompson, who was the fourth quarterback on the depth chart before Will Howard got hurt. Thompson is certainly on the outside looking in when it comes to the final roster, but his impressive performance during the first week of the preseason likely caught the eyes of some other teams around the NFL. Ben Roethlisberger spoke about the game on the most recent episode of Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger, and he shared that he thinks the quarterback could end up elsewhere. "I don't think the Steelers are going to keep four quarterbacks," Roethlisberger said. "Let's be honest. I think he is playing himself into like a really legit chance for a backup job somewhere on a team. Which is what you want." Thompson is going to need to continue to stack good performances in the preseason, and if he does, the Steelers may have the chance to trade him before cutting down to the final roster at the end of August. It is known that the top two quarterbacks on the roster are Aaron Rodgers and Rudolph, with Howard being right behind them. Thompson will likely end up elsewhere, it just depends on how that comes about. Other teams across the league probably know that the Steelers do not have the intention to keep Thompson around for the regular season, and that could make navigating a potential trade difficult. However, if there are multiple teams that are going to be interested in Thompson's services, one might be willing to trade a Day 3 draft pick in order to get him. The Steelers would not get much in any deal surrounding Thompson, but an additional sixth or seventh round pick for the 2026 NFL Draft would not hurt. No organization would trade for Thompson based off just one good preseason performance, especially with how the rest of the quarterback's career has gone when he was with the Miami Dolphins. He has struggled when he has been asked to start in games, but maybe he has turned over a new leaf that might make him valuable as the top backup for another organization. Another strong performance or two should definitely put him on the radar of quarterback-needy teams. Steelers' Skylar Thompson Could Have A Few Potential Destinations When looking around the league and trying to figure out what teams might be interested in bringing in Thompson, it is hard to ignore a team like the New Orleans Saints. The entire quarterback room in New Orleans has limited experience with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener barely ever seeing the field. Rookie Tyler Shough is an interesting prospect, but there is no telling how he will play. The Saints may want to consider Thompson, at the very least to bring in someone who has legitimate playing experience. Another team to consider would be Thompson's former team, the Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa has struggled with injuries, and neither Zach Wilson or Quinn Ewers looked great in the team's first preseason game. A reunion could be in play as Thompson has a handle on the offensive system and has a decent amount of game experience playing in Miami. Another option is the New York Jets, as Tyrod Taylor is going through an injury and the rest of the room has a lot of question marks.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!