Through both the Hlinka camp and tournament, my initial assessment of Barkey was mainly a strong F1 forechecker who applied relentless pressure making breakouts difficult for the opposition. After the Hlinka, I was still determining other aspects of his game, but this recent viewing clarified things. The pace of Barkey’s game stands out, which allows him to excel through the neutral zone, as he can quickly gain separation and navigate pressure using his feet. Denver provided adequate support low in the zone as a centreman and, on multiple occasions, broke up dangerous passing attempts with his stick. The most compelling aspect of Barkey’s game was his effectiveness as a playmaker, mainly off the rush. Denver wouldn’t overhandle the puck and would routinely spot open lanes and hit teammates open in dangerous positions. He could identify gaps in the defence and creatively exploit those holes to advance play into the home plate area of the ice. The combination of Denver’s pace and playmaking ability yields tremendous potential for him moving forward.