Denver Barkey took a nice step in the right direction with his development this season. The 21-year-old forward played in his first 43 career NHL games this campaign and certainly showed promise. The 2023 third-round pick recorded five goals, 12 assists, and 17 points this season with the Metropolitan Division club. Barkey also showed good upside down in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season. In 26 games with the AHL club, he posted seven goals and 16 points. Overall, it was a successful first professional season for Barkey. Now, he is heading into the 2026-27 season as a prime breakout candidate to watch for the Flyers. It is no secret that Barkey has plenty of potential. Now that he has gotten a bit of experience at the NHL level, it would not be shocking in the slightest if he took hit a new level for the Flyers next season and cemented himself as a key part of their forward group in the process. Barkey's success at the OHL level also shows that he has the potential to become a top-six forward. In 50 games with the London Knights in 2024-25, he had 25 goals and 82 points. This was after he had 35 goals and 102 points in 64 games for the Knights in 2023-24. With this, it is clear that he has good offensive skill, and the possibility of him becoming an impactful offensive contributor next season for the Flyers should not be ruled out. It will be intriguing to see what kind of season Barkey can put together for the Flyers in 2026-27 from here.
