PHILADELPHIA – For a 20-year-old going through the rigors of a National Hockey League schedule for the first time, the Olympic break couldn’t come at a better time for Denver Barkey. The rookie has shown his mettle through a demanding, Olympic-compressed slate. Friday, he gets to go back to Newm arket, Ontario, for some home cooking over the next week or so. He’s already played 20 games for the Flyers. Add another 26 with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and it’s a pretty good workload. It’s a big jump from 60 last year with the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League, though he played 80 or more thanks to long playoff runs each of the previous two seasons. Flyers coach Rick Tocchet is keeping an eye on Barkey and hasn’t ruled out the possibility that the left wing could return to the American Hockey League at some point. “I think this break is perfect to talk about it,” Tocchet said during Tuesday morning’s pre-game skate at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. “This is a good break for Barkey to reset. “He’s obviously opened up a lot of eyes. Dan (Briere, Flyers general manager) will make those decisions. But for me he’s been a guy who’s tried to do the right things.” Barkey plays bigger than his 5-foot-10, 171-pound frame suggests. He takes and gives hits. He plays with snarl in the corners. With two goals and nine points, he’s producing offensively. “He’s elusive on the ice,” Tocchet said. “There’s a lot to like about him. Whether he stays or not – and there’s a good chance he will – I’ll talk to Danny about it.” Barkey gives the impression he’s just grateful to be here. A third-round pick in the 2023 draft, he doesn’t give off an air of entitlement. There aren’t a lot of 20-year-olds cruising around the NHL, fewer still at his draft position. As for heading home for the Olympic break, it’s like a second Christmas break, only better. There’s time to really unpack the bags and take a mental rest. “It’s going to be nice to sit back a bit and relax,” Barkey said. “Take it all in. Be proud of yourself. Think about all the hard work that’s gotten you here. And it will be nice to go home and see family and friends. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a lot of them. This will be a chance to talk about what it’s been like this year.” • • • Defenseman Emil Andrae was scratched for a fourth straight game Tuesday. Tocchet hoped to get him back in action this week, but the matchup against Washington didn’t look favorable. Andrae is not one of the bigger, more physical players. “This (the Caps) is a big, heavy team,” Tocchet said. “They’re built in the corners. There is a little bit of a matchup thing there.” Andrae can add speed, which is a positive. That might work better against a team like Ottawa, who the Flyers play Thursday. “You can defend with quickness and your brain, too,” Tocchet said. “It’s not that you’re just a small guy that you can’t play against bigger guys.” • • • The experiment of Trevor Zegras at center continues, and Tocchet wants to see how this transition is working for the player who’s been used mostly at left wing this season. “On faceoffs, the last game, he was something like 64 percent,” Tocchet said. “That’s a positive. That was one thing that he was worried about. And some coverages down low. I didn’t see a guy confused out there.” Why make the move to have Zegras at center now? Some of it might have to do with his recent slump after a hot start. The coach wants to see if he can change things up. “For the first 30 games he was going so good,” Tocchet said. “He looked at me (after the switch) like I was crazy. I want to see if he can hold that position down for us. He likes that hybrid, I put him on the wing sometimes.” ...read more read less