It’s rare to see a forward of von Barnekow’s size with such a great motor. His conditioning is incredible, as he plays hard and play with pace in all three zones, on a consistent shift-by-shift basis despite all the minutes he plays for his team. Von Barnekow seems to bring his game both in the offense and defense zones and therefore he is useful at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill. His acceleration and top speed are both good for size, allowing him to be a rush option on offense. His skating combined with his long reach allow him to close gaps defensively and get the first touch on loose pucks often. He has a fast, strong shot and likes to use it often. Von Barnekow really excels at clearing the defensive zone because of this range and his precise stick work. He displays a strong understanding of how to use his body to effectively separate man from puck, without being reckless and taking himself out of the play. Von Barnekow has good body strength and looks well balanced on the ice. Due to this, he is hard to move for opponents – especially if he comes at them with speed. In his own end, he does his job well and has good positioning. He is strong in front of his net and wins many battles along the boards and in important battles on the ice. When his team gets the puck, he moves to the open ice and is not afraid of getting the puck down deep. He often finds great passes to wingers with speed. All over the ice, von Barnekow has a tendency to get the puck and create an opportunity for himself and his teammates. Sometimes you think he will lose the puck or the opponent will poke the puck loose but somehow, it often ends up with him bringing out the puck which is a fantastic asset to have. He protects the puck well and has no problem facing tough hits and then delivering a pass or continuing his drive towards an attack. Von Barnekow can still work on developing his hands to be a bigger threat offensively. His skating abilities are still not the best and he needs to work on his acceleration but he is an average skater overall.

– FCHockey’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide