Report: Philadelphia Flyers announce two-player move ahead of puck drop

Nikita Grebenkin is headed to IR, and Rick Tocchet suddenly has a much more interesting option available in Denver Barkey.

Philadelphia completed the roster move Monday, placing Grebenkin on injured reserve after the winger had been dealing with an undisclosed issue.

The timing matters. Denver Barkey appears ready to return, creating an immediate opening for Tocchet to bring one of the Flyers' most intriguing young forwards back into the lineup.

Grebenkin brought size and edge to Philadelphia's bottom six, but his absence changes the equation. The 23-year-old has 14 points across 62 NHL games and remains part of the club's forward depth.

Barkey gives the Flyers a different look. He can inject speed, skill and creativity into a lineup that now has a spot available without another forward needing to come out.

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And that makes this more than a routine injured-reserve transaction. Philadelphia didn't just lose a winger Monday. The Flyers potentially cleared the runway for Barkey.

Denver Barkey suddenly has his opening

This is the kind of roster window young players wait for. Barkey doesn't need to force his way past a healthy teammate or wait for Tocchet to manufacture a lineup change.

The door has opened naturally, and the early indication is that he's healthy enough to walk straight through it.

That gives Tocchet an appealing option as he shapes his forward group. Barkey can bring pace through the neutral zone, attack with the puck and give Philadelphia another offensive piece capable of making something happen off the rush.

Grebenkin's move also carries some weight because he's under contract at a $1,100,000 cap hit through 2027-28. This isn't a player Philadelphia had sitting outside its plans.

But Barkey's return could soften the loss quickly. A strong showing would give Tocchet another lineup decision once Grebenkin is cleared, especially if Barkey grabs the opportunity immediately.

That's where Monday's transaction gets interesting for the Flyers.

What began as an injury move may end with Philadelphia adding one of its most anticipated young forwards back to the bench at exactly the right moment.

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