It was a relatively quiet night at the NHL Draft, as it was the first time since 2007 that there were no trades announced during the first round. The Winnipeg Jets were one of those teams rumoured to be a part of a potential trade, but they stood still at the 18th overall pick.
With that pick, they selected winger Colby Barlow from the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). There are many reasons why people league-wide love this pick for the Jets organization, and in this piece, we are going to dive into the reasons why he was regarded as a top-15 prospect by many.
Barlow’s “hidden talent”, as presented by the Sportsnet broadcast during the draft, is that he was able to grow a beard by the age of seven. If you take a look at his beard now, you can’t help but believe that to be a fact.
Barlow’s Wicked Shot Headlines Impressive Skillset
Corey Pronman of The Athletic gave an instant analysis of every draft pick made in the first round on Wednesday night, and this is what he had to say about Barlow:
“Barlow is a well-rounded winger. He is a strong skater who can transport pucks through the neutral zone. He’s a hard-working forward who has some physicality, can kill penalties, and is quite physically advanced for his age. Offensively he has excellent stick skills and a great shot. He’s a threat to score off the rush and from a standstill with his one-timer.” (from “Winnipeg Jets’ NHL Draft 2023 picks, analysis and fits,” The Athletic, 6/28/23).
Barlow put up an impressive stat line in 2022-23, posting 46 goals, 33 assists, and 79 points in 59 games for Owen Sound. Those 46 goals placed him fifth across the entire league in goals, and when you watch the film, you immediately see how he was able to hit that incredible mark.
Related: Winnipeg Jets Draft Colby Barlow 18th Overall
No matter which scouting report you read, every single one highlights Barlow’s ability to fill the back of the net with his ridiculous snapshot. The 6-foot-1 winger plays an all-around game, but he can score from far out with a wrist shot that is sure to catch goaltenders off guard. The OHL Twitter account put out a highlight tape the second he was drafted, and if you take a look, you can see why scouts love Barlow’s game.
THW’s Peter Baracchini highlighted Barlow’s two-way prowess in his scouting report. He wrote: “Barlow excels at utilizing his size to his advantage to set up an attack with his work ethic, the ability to pressure opponents and finish it with his goal-scoring abilities. He’s a player that’s becoming more reliable and responsible as he can also play a strong two-way game, making him dangerous on both sides of the puck.”
While names like Gabe Perrault, Oliver Moore, and Quentin Musty were still on the board for the Jets to select, they elected to go with the Ontario-born Barlow, who plays with an edge and can develop into a strong, top-six, two-way winger with the ability to score 30-plus goals at the NHL level.
Barlow Adds to Character & Leadership Among Jets Prospects
One thing that is evident when you listen to Barlow talk; he is a leader and an incredible character. In his post-draft interviews, he gave some incredible answers to how excited he is to be a part of the Jets organization. As the captain of the Attack at 17 years old, it was already established that he is a leader, and the Jets clearly coveted that aspect of his game.
This is similar to Jets 2022 first-round pick, Rutger McGroarty. He has also been described as a humble leader, and he and Barlow share those same qualities within the Jets prospect pool. It is clear that general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Jets organization are attempting to build an incredible culture within the organization, and they have begun to prioritize that on draft day.
You can’t help but wonder – for an organization that just parted ways with Pierre-Luc Dubois, a player that vocally wanted out and would not re-sign with the team, this would be the ideal time to start targeting players that want to stay in Winnipeg. It’s interesting to note that recently they have also parted ways with Jacob Trouba, Andrew Copp, and soon-to-be Connor Hellebuyck for the exact same reasons.
Minds can change, but drafting players that have incredible humility and carry themselves with the utmost respect is a start to building a fine culture within the organization, and could result in fewer players forcing their way out in the near future.
On the surface, this is a player that could develop into a powerful top-six winger at the NHL level. Beneath the surface, he is a leader and one of the better characters in the draft. The Jets stuck to their values with this pick, and it was a great start to the draft from an organizational standpoint. They won’t pick again until the third round, and you may see them go with a defenceman or even a goaltender as the value starts to shrink.