With the Flyers, Carkner would play 5 seasons, getting 376 games, 132 points (0.35 points per game), and 867 penalty minutes. In 1989, the Flyers named him an alternate captain. He was later traded to the Detroit Red Wings for Yves Racine and a draft pick. After playing two years in Detroit, he signed as a free agent for the Florida Panthers on a two-year, 1.2 million dollar deal. He would finish his NHL career in Florida after four seasons with the Panthers.