Courtesy of GameDay London

Fantasy Summary

Incredibly fun, skilled and shifty undersized forward with high-end playmaking abilities, a constant motor, and an inside-driven mindset. Easy to push off pucks and can skate himself into trouble at times, but could top out as a top-six forward if refined properly.


Observations

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June 2025 – As captain of the London Knights, Barkey finished second on the team in scoring with 82 points in 50 games, behind only Sharks’ prospect defenseman Sam Dickinson. He had 20 points in 10 playoff games before suffering a high-ankle sprain. He returned a month later in time for the Memorial Cup, posting seven points in five games and leading London to the championship. If he were a bigger player, he would be a top fantasy own and a lock for NHL duty down the road. But given his size, we need to see how well it translates to pro hockey. – Dobber

March 2024 – The Flyers signed Barkey to an ELC on March 3rd 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

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 8.0
NHL Certainty 7.0
Country CAN
Position C
Roster Type Minors
Shoot/Glove Left
Date of Birth April 27, 2005
Height 5‘9”
Weight 155 lbs
Drafted 2023 Round 3; Overall: 95
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Stats – Frozen Tools – Profile on FT

SeasonLeagueTeamGPGAPTSPIM+/-
2024-2025OHLLondon Knights502557822246
2023-2024OHLLondon Knights6435671022845
2023-2024Memorial CupLondon Knights413443
2022-2023OHLLondon Knights612237593418
2022-2023Hlinka Gretzky CupCanada U18522440
2021-2022OHLLondon Knights53781516-6
2019-2020GTHL U15Toronto Titans U15 AAA32103646100

Highlights