The Barkov Line
The Barkov line is my hipster pick as one of the best in the NHL, but if you want proof, just watch a Panthers game. Seriously, besides them and Vincent Trochek, there’s not much there offensively. Night in and night out, if the Barkov trio doesn’t score, the Panthers probably don’t. Just in case you probably didn’t know, and it’s ok not to know, as we are talking about Florida, but this line is made up of Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Evgenii Dadonov. Just for reference, I will use Fenwick (unblocked shot attempts), the percentage of high danger chances (HDCF%), percentage of goals scored, and offensive zone starts as my preferred stats.
| Total Ice Time | Fenwick % | HDCF% | Goals % | Offensive Zone Start % | |
| Barkov Line | 3 25:07 |
58.58% |
57.14%
58.06%
47.37%
JoFA
2 43:28
57.88%
50%
70.00%
61.43%
The Barkov line wins pretty handily from this comparison. They have better unblocked shot attempts scores, better percentage of high danger chances and tougher zone starts. The funny part, in my opinion, is that the Barkov line actually has more goals than JoFA. But the Nashville Predators’ crown jewel has been better in their own zone.
The reasoning for the Barkov line’s goals against totals might be because of their use in the defensive zone. Despite their offensive prowess, Florida’s coaching staff trusts this line more than any other and it shows.
I seriously hope Florida doesn’t waste Barkov’s prime years. He’s a gem that would be celebrated as someone who “plays the game the right way”. In this contest, I have to give the nod to Florida over JoFA. So, without further ado, let’s look at the best line in Alberta.