In The Athletic’s Hockey Hall of Fame tiers, 2026 edition: Which active NHL stars are headed for induction? Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was one of three players in the second tier, Probably in — and still rising along with Cale Makar and Auston Matthews. Here what writer’s Peter Baugh and Max Bultman had to say about the category and Barkov.
A good case could be made that any of these three players belong in the top tier. Each already has the requisite on-ice peak, individual hardware and at least one Stanley Cup championship or Olympic gold medal. They are also young enough to keep adding to their resume. As it is, they slot into this newly created level.
Aleksander Barkov’s case was fodder for one of our longest discussions. Had the Florida Panthers captain not missed this season after ACL and MCL surgery, he likely would have moved up. As it is, both of us would vote for him to be in already. But this exercise is less about what we think and more about whether we have total certainty the Hall of Fame committee would induct someone who’s played only 804 games and doesn’t yet have the counting stats of other recent forward inductees.
To review how special a player Barkov is: He’s one of only four players to claim at least two Stanley Cup titles and three Selke Trophy wins. The other three — Bob Gainey, Guy Carbonneau and Pavel Datsyuk — are already enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Along with his elite defense, Barkov has averaged at least a point per game over each of his past five seasons. Internationally, he earned an Olympic bronze in 2014 and, having recovered from his knee surgeries, captained Finland to World Championship gold this summer.
Brad Marchand was in the third tier (Keep Compiling). We wrote extensively last year about how Marchand improved his case by helping propel the Panthers to their second Stanley Cup win, placing him in the now-defunct “Almost there — if not already a lock” grouping. (Burns was there, too.) Marchand had 27 goals and 54 points in 52 games during the 2025-26 season, crossed the 1,000 career point threshold and added an Olympic silver to his resume. With five years left on his contract, the 38-year-old is in a perfect position to continue compiling, especially with the Panthers in win-now mode.
Matthew Tkachuk was in the final tier discussed (On Track): The Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk isn’t likely to win an MVP, though he does have a top-three finish on his resume. But is well on his way as stat-compiler. Tkahuck us under 30 and should comfortably clear 1,000 points, with Cup titles and international success in tow.
The Winnipeg Jets have re-signed defenseman Tyrel Bauer to two-year contract worth $1.75 million. Bauer’s new deal is two-way in the first year. The 24-year-old played in 52 games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in 2025-26, produding one goal, four assists and 110 PIM.