Aleksander Barkov
Ht/Wt: 6′ 2″/209 lbs
Position: C
Team: Tappara (FIN)
via mynhldraft.com
When I first glanced at the Finnish roster in Lake Placid and saw the Barkov name I instantly thought where is the Russian tie. Supposedly his dad competed internationally and his mother played on the Russian national basketball team, so you know where the athleticism stems from. He is already a good-sized center man at 6’2” 205 lbs. as he is actually two weeks shy of being eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft as late ’95 birthday. He was the youngest player out on the ice at the Herb Brooks Arena this summer. You could see he was a bit younger by his approach to the game being a tad apprehensive, although he also displayed at times his deceptive moves and skill sets. He is an intelligent player at 16-years old, shows poise with the puck, and good offensive instincts. Overall, he is a valuable all-around player who will return to Finland’s WJC roster for a second go-a-round and garner considerable NHL attention this season.
Submitted by: Russ Bitely from the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp – U20 Team Finland – Lake Placid, NY – August 4th-11th
via thescotingreport.com
Not very many players in the history of Finnish hockey can say they’ve made it to the SM-Liiga at Age 16. Even fewer can say they had a 20-goal season at Age 17. One who can is Tampere native Aleksander Barkov. The 6-foot-2 pivot might be cerebral to some, but make no mistake, he’s one of the top offensive players you’ll find in this draft. Barkov’s touch around the net and in the offensive zone are exceptional while his vision makes him a complete package. At this point his skating is the main area of concern, but like players such as John Tavares before him, we’re hedging our bets that as his skating improves, his skill will only be extrapolated.
ISS Top 30#3 Sasha Barkov @barkovsasha95Ultra-talented playmaker dominates on both sides of puck. Power Fwd w/good puck handling ability.
— ISS Hockey (@ISShockey) December 13, 2012