Denver Barkey’s speed, Alex Bump’s puck skills, and other takeaways from Flyers’ Rookie Series vs. Rangers

ALLENTOWN — Although it started feeling like the Flyers’ youth were living in Allentown, having been there since Friday for the start of rookie camp, they showed why everyone has a pretty good shot with an impressive set of games over the weekend.

The prospects worked hard and won Game 1 on Saturday, 3-2, before a decisive 4-1 victory in Game 2.

Here are our observations of the Flyers prospects at the Rookie Series:

Serving as captain, Denver Barkey played Sunday, and was in midseason form as the high-motor forward — “That’s what makes me an effective player,” he said postgame — was flying all night. He used his speed and quickness to effectively keep the Rangers defense on their heels as he drove to the net, notably on his goal. In the first period, Barkey streaked down the left side of the ice, receiving a feed from Oliver Bonk, his teammate of five years (four of them with London of the Ontario Hockey League), as he cut across the crease and dipped the puck around Rangers goalie Danai Shaiikov. Barkey later added an assist when he unselfishly passed up another goal to set up Porter Martone’s empty-netter.

Martone also looks ready to hit the ground running when the Flyers’ main camp opens on Thursday in Voorhees, as he brought his high-octane, edgy game all night long in Game 2. A betting favorite to win the Calder Trophy this season as the NHL’s top rookie, Martone did have one bad turnover in the second period, leading to the Rangers’ lone goal, for which he apologized to his goalie, Marek Sklenička. He said after the game Sunday that he told the 2026 draft pick, “We’ll get it back here.” That wasn’t the only moment he was there for his teammates, as he went after 6-foot-7 Rangers forward Dylan Roobroeck when he nailed Barkey. Martone, who looked more than ready for the NHL’s fast pace, posted a game-high five shots and also had an assist.

» READ MORE: Flyers top 20 prospect rankings: Porter Martone is No. 1, but where do Jett Luchanko and Maksim Sokolovskii land?

Alex Bump played only on Saturday but set the tone early following a disappointing main camp last year that stalled the start of his NHL career until March. Wanting to make an impression, Bump came out flying, showcasing his quickness and deftness with the puck, especially on the boards, his hockey IQ, and his ability to drive to the net, finishing with two points. His goal was nice; his assist was dazzling as he sent a seam pass to Cole Knuble, who was driving to the net backdoor.

Knuble was also impressive in his one game on Saturday, showing a high-end motor akin to Barkey’s. He played physical, was active around the net, and used his feet and body well to protect the puck and create plays.

“Since the day I was drafted, I wanted to be a part of this organization,” said Knuble, who is about to begin his first full season as a pro. “I grew up loving this team, so it’s a dream come true. Every practice, every game, every offseason, that was the goal: To get one step closer to this.”

Jett Luchanko played both nights centering the top lines — Bump and Knuble were his wingers on Saturday and Barkey and Martone lined up with him on Sunday — and looked even better on the second night. On Sunday, he was a play driver, carrying the puck up the ice, and used his speed to wreak havoc in the Rangers’ defense. The recently turned 20-year-old had two assists, with his second coming on the goal by Barkey when he made a nice chip pass off the wall in the neutral zone while getting hit.

“Showed us the flashes of what he really can become and what he’s going to be. That speed through the neutral zone and his ability to get on top of guys quickly,” Phantoms coach John Snowden said on Sunday. “ … Back-to-back too, right? His legs were still flying, and he was competitive and hard in situations. He had a little bite to his game.”

Maksim Sokolovskii continued to show why the Flyers made him a first-round pick this weekend. Despite his 6-7 frame, he is a smart, quick, fluid skater who can defend well while also creating time and space offensively. He broke up several plays on Sunday at the blue line with his long reach, while also using that same reach to protect the puck as he drove around opponents. Sokolovskii had one assist in the game and has already been invited to the main Flyers camp.

Noah Powell, who Snowden called a “pretty raw, uncut diamond” that the Flyers can shape in an interview with The Inquirer back in May, may finally be coming into focus. The forward enjoys being a pest and played a hard, physical game all weekend. Oftentimes, his hits rattled the boards, and he got into it at the end of the game with the Rangers’ Jacob Battaglia before dropping the gloves with Jackson Dorrington.

“Hockey is a violent game. I’m not saying I’m a violent person, but when I get out there, I definitely do like to play a violent, vicious style of hockey,” said Powell, who noted he likes to blend Kiefer Sherwood’s motor and relentlessness and Tom Wilson’s toughness and heavy hitting to play his game.

» READ MORE: A healthy Jett Luchanko is hoping to use rookie camp as a springboard ahead of a pivotal season for his Flyers future

Sklenička and Martin Psohlavec played solid on Sunday, but all eyes were on goalie Carson Bjarnason, who had a rocky first year as a pro with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. The goalie, who turned 21 in June, acknowledged a learning curve with the AHL being faster and his reads needing to be quicker, but said he has put the past behind him. On Saturday, his lone start of the weekend, he looked sharp on his reads, stopping 27 of 29 shots — both goals were on a Rangers power play — while flashing the leather on several attempts. His best save came after Luchanko sent an errant pass right onto Roobroeck’s stick for a Grade-A chance in the third period.

“I thought today he looked big in the net,” Snowden said on Saturday. “He looked composed in the net, didn’t really get scrambly at times and just tracked the puck the way he needed to track the puck. If he couldn’t see through traffic at times, he stayed big and pucks hit him. Overall, I thought it was a good step in the right direction for him.”

Not long after he was drafted last year, Matthew Gard did not stand out at his first Rookie Series, but 2026 was different, especially in the first of two games. The press box was buzzing about the 6-5, lanky centerman who showed off some pop — he scored the Flyers’ first goal of the weekend — and smarts. … Brek Liske said before Saturday’s game that he was looking forward to not just wearing an NHL logo on his jersey but to bringing the Flyers vs. Rangers video game matchup that he used to play on NHL 15 to reality. The Flyers’ 2026 second-rounder had a fantastic series, and one scout told The Inquirer that he and Luke Vlooswyk, his defensive partner with Everett of the Western Hockey League and a fellow Flyers prospect who he played with on Sunday, are underrated. Liske scored the go-ahead goal from the goal line on the second night with less than five seconds left in the middle frame after a Spencer Gill blast hit the end boards. Liske said he learned a great deal about communication at the Rookie Series and said after the game on Sunday, “I’m going to try and bring that back with me [to Everett], get everyone talking a little more, and make sure the rinks never quiet.” … Despite missing months after undergoing surgery on an upper-body injury in late January, Ty Murchison looked great in his lone game on Saturday, showing his smooth skating, hockey IQ, leadership — he wore the “C” — and grit as he dropped the gloves and went blow-for-blow at the end of Game 1 with Roobroeck.

» READ MORE: Flyers prospects Brek Liske and Luke Vlooswyk have lofty goals as junior teammates: ‘I think we’ll be the best D pair in the league’