Denver Barkey: A Rising Star in the OHL?

Denver Barkey, the 18-year-old center from Newmarket, ON, was drafted by the Flyers in the 2023 Entry Draft, selected in the third round, 95th overall. Standing at 5 feet 9 inches and weighing 154 pounds, Barkey appears to be a fantastic passer. According to eliteprospects.com, he possesses impressive stickhandling ability and excellent positioning to put the puck in scoring positions.

This season, he will be playing with the London Knights, an organization well-known in the OHL for grooming many NHL stars, including Mitch Marner, Nazem Kadri, and Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk.

Early in this season, he has been on a roll, tallying seven points in three games since October 7th, including four multi-point games out of eight.

Barkey has continued to impress his coaches with his current play and his ongoing point streak.

As of October 18th, Barkey ranks fifth overall in the league, having played nine games with seven goals and seven assists, totalling 14 points while maintaining a +10 rating.

It's safe to say that the Flyers' management has no intention of bringing him up this year, as they aim to nurture his growth and development into a prolific goal scorer. Furthermore, he needs time to mature physically, given his relatively small stature as a centerman, which would make it challenging to compete against today's NHL stars.

I would anticipate him participating in the Flyers' camp next season, with the potential of making the team in the season that follows.