Denver Barkey is on the board.
The Philadelphia Flyers rookie has provided some energy and solid two-way play in his short time in the NHL, but he only had two assists — both recorded in his debut at Madison Square Garden — to show for it. That changed on Saturday afternoon in Edmonton.
After some early pressure by the Oilers, it was Barkey who settled things down and opened the scoring in Edmonton.
The 20-year-old winger started the breakout in his own end and dashed down the center lane as the Flyers moved up ice. Sean Couturier dished it off to Owen Tippett as they criss-crossed to enter the zone, and the winger sent it in front to Barkey, who made no mistake about it.
Denver Barkey is a Philadelphia Flyer. #PHIvsEDM | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/7MIGtZvsTu
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 3, 2026
Barkey’s goal gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead just over seven minutes into the game in Edmonton. Travis Sanheim added a goal a few minutes later, with Barkey providing a screen in front, and Bobby Brink scored a pinball-type goal to put the Flyers up 3-0 before Connor McDavid got the Oilers on the board on a breakaway.
The winger became the second Flyers rookie in many seasons to score his first goal at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Last year, of course, it was Matvei Michkov who scored not just his first, but the first two goals of his NHL career in just his third career game.
Barkey has shown a nose for the net as well as a willingness to go into the corners and make the right play with the puck in his young NHL career. The first-year pro had 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists) in 26 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms before being called up last month.
He’s been able to fill in on a line with Couturier and Tippett, and the trio has formed quite the line. In 56.6 minutes entering Saturday’s game, the Barkey – Couturier – Tippett line had a league-leading 76.3% of the expected goals share at 5-on-5, per MoneyPuck, among lines with at least 50 minutes together.
While he’s always been doubted due to his size, Barkey has played well above his stature so far in the NHL. That’s been a common theme for the forward, who was the captain of the OHL champion London Knights last season, scoring 25 goals and adding 57 assists for 82 points in 50 games.
The Flyers drafted Barkey in the third round (95th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft, and it sure looks like they found a guy who can be a key piece for the future.
