Denver Barkey

March 2024 – The Flyers signed Barkey to an ELC on March 3^rd as Barkey has had a career year with the London Knights. A smaller forward known best for his motor, Barkey has hit career highs in every offensive category this season. James Iacovone

June 2023 – Barkley was selected 95th overall by the Flyers. Pat Quinn

December 2023 – In a word, Denver Barkey is fun. Every time he gets the puck, his eyes light up, he explodes into his top gear, and he finds increasingly creative ways to advance play towards the opponent’s end. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound center is plying his trade with the OHL’s London Knights, and is just below a point-per-game pace in 28 games, with seven goals and 20 assists.

His production is far from elite, but Barkey isn’t tasked with the highest minutes. He oscillates between the second and third line, while mostly seeing second-wave power play minutes. The Newmarket, Ontario-native’s skillset, however, transcends those coaching limitations. He blends head fakes with hip-pocket handling to misdirect defenders, drag pucks between his own legs, stop and curl up on a dime using his polished edgework, and open up passing lanes using his above-average intelligence. He chains together his tools in ways that contribute to positive results, making him more than the sum of his parts.

Barkey is limited in his capacity to contribute defensively, however, by a frail body and a tendency to shy away from contact. He pursues pucks relentlessly in open ice, where he is relatively safe from hard hits, but he shows restraint in his board play involvement. Skill, pace and fun will only take him so far; if he learns to win his fair share of board battles and apply his open-ice intensity and relentlessness to his board game, Barkey could top out as a top-six seat-filler in the NHL. Hadi Kalakeche