Florida Panthers give C Aleksander Barkov a six-year extension

The Florida Panthers finalized a six-year, $35 million deal with young center Aleksander Barkov on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old Finland native was set to become a restricted free agent during the summer and the Panthers wanted to secure their future with the talented newcomer.

Barkov, the team's second overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, has scored 12 goals and added 18 assists in 38 games this season.

"These decisions aren't made lightly as far as making a commitment to a player," Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said. "But Sasha is not only a great player, he's one of the best players in the league in all three zones of the ice. Most importantly about Sasha is his character and his passion and his dedication. That made the decision easy to us."

Barkov will play his first game since the deal was revealed on Tuesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He is part of a young nucleus along with defenseman Aaron Ekblad and forward Jonathan Huberdeau that has helped the Panthers reach the top of the Atlantic Division standings heading into the NHL All-Star Game break.

"I like to be here," Barkov said. "I like to come here every morning to work hard. It's a good spot for me, the team is going in the right direction and I love it here."