Sasha Barkov responds to Wayne Gretzky comparing him with one of 100 greatest NHL players

Florida Panthers forward Sasha Barkov responded to Wayne Gretzky comparing him with one of the 100 greatest NHL players, Bryan Trottier.

Gretzky, on Sportsnet, praised Basrkov for his performance in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers. "The Great One" reckons Sasha Barkov is the best defensive hockey player he has seen since Bryan Trottier.

"No. 16 is the best defensive hockey player I've seen since Bryan Trottier. And I got Trottier four games; what did I get? No goals. What we get no Cup," Gretzky said.

Gretzky praised Barkov's exceptional passing ability and offensive skills, comparing him with Trottier. He said that Connor McDavid will face a difficult challenge in the final against Barkov due to his impressive skills.

"So you learn from that, right? But listen, both of those guys are two great players, and Barkov makes an unreal pass. And he's good offensively too, like Trottier was, but Connor got his work cut out against this young man," he added.

Sasha Barkov was humbled to hear such kind words from Wayne Gretzky. Barkov appreciated the praise, especially when it comes from someone like Gretzky:

"I mean, it's coming from him, specially means a lot. Everyone knows what he's done to the game of hockey, and when you hear stuff, like people, special people like him, say stuff like that, is obviously means a lot coming from players or former players. So I appreciate that," Barkov said.

Barkov has accumulated 19 points through six goals and 13 assists in 18 games this postseason.

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Sasha Barkov and the Panthers beat Oilers in Game 1

The Florida Panthers kicked off their Stanley Cup Final journey with a dominant win, beating the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 in Game 1 at the Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday.

Sergei Bobrovsky delivered a solid performance between the pipes and ended the night with an impressive 32 saves for the hosts. Notably, Bobrovsky also became the first NHL player to record a shutout win in the opening game of the Stanley Cup Final in 13 years.

In the post-game media interactions, Matthew Tkachuk had nothing but high praises for the netminder (via NHL.com).

“His preparation is incredible,” Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said on Saturday. “You know his work ethic, his character, like everything you want in a teammate, especially a goalie, he is everything."

Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues scored a goal apiece, while Sasha Barkov garnered two points for the Cats in the win. As for the Oilers, Stuart Skinner made 15 saves in the contest.

Sasha Barkov and the Panthers return for Game 2 at home on Monday. The puck drops at 8 p.m. ET.