NHL.com staff writer Mike Zeisberger has been covering the NHL regularly since 1999. Each Monday he will use his extensive network of hockey contacts for his weekly notes column, “Zizing 'Em Up,” to preview the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

TORONTO -- How do you replace the skill and leadership of an Aleksander Barkov ?

For Team Finland, there’s no real answer.

“Can you, really?” general manager Jere Lehtinen told NHL.com from Finland. “He’s such a special player. I don’t think one player can do it. It has to be a team thing.

“It’s unfortunate, but we will deal with it. We’ve dealt with such adversity before.”

Indeed, if anyone had reason to feel snakebit, it’s Lehtinen and the Finns.

Back in the spring of 2024, Barkov, the Florida Panthers captain, and Miro Heiskanen

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