WINNIPEG -- Colby Barlow took notice when Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff turned to his prospect pipeline after losing key players to free agency July 1.
“If I’m a young player in the Jets organization today,” Cheveldayoff said, “I’m pretty excited about the opportunities that are in front of me and I’m working pretty hard in the offseason to make sure that I take full advantage.”
The Jets lost several impact players from their veteran core, including top-six forwards Sean Monahan (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Tyler Toffoli (San Jose Sharks). So, Cheveldayoff’s comments were exactly what a forward prospect like Barlow wanted to hear after being the No. 18 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
“It's obviously positive hearing those kinds of things; you just kind of take it, run with it, and I'll do the absolute best I can and be prepared for it,” Barlow said at Winnipeg’s development camp last month. "I'm working towards my goal, which is to play in the NHL. I'm just doing the best I absolutely can. I know there's steps along the way for sure, and a learning curve that needs to be done.”
The 19-year-old has an uphill battle to crack the NHL roster this season. A back injury early in his third season with Owen Sound of the Ontario Hockey League limited him to just 50 games, but he still managed to score 40 goals. Barlow returned in time for the playoffs and then got his first taste of professional hockey with Manitoba of the American Hockey League, where he had three points (one goal, two assists) in three games.
“It was an up-and-down year,” Barlow said. “I had an injury that left me out of the lineup for about a month and a half there, which was unfortunate. I came back, had a strong finish, I thought.
“Unfortunately, it was a short playoff run for us, but another opportunity arose, coming up with the Manitoba Moose. It was a great experience for me, getting into a few games there, being around the guys, getting to know [coach Mark Morrison] and the assistants here -- just how they run things, which was awesome. I took it into the summer and I'm just working on it.”
Jets captain Adam Lowry scored 45 goals in his fourth and final junior season with Swift Current of the Western Hockey League in 2012-13. Now 31, the forward shared his experiences with the 35 prospects at development camp.
“[Lowry] talked about how in junior he was one of the best players on his team at that level,” Winnipeg director of player development Jimmy Roy said. “He had 40 goals, I think, and 40-something assists, you know? And he comes in and he said, 'My first year [pro], I had [one assist in nine games] in the American league.’ So, he talked about figuring out what his role was and understanding all of that stuff in his [own] development.”
Barlow knows he needs to do more than just find the net, something he’s excelled at with 116 goals in 168 OHL games. It begins with keeping pace with the tempo of the game.
"I think my skating has come a long way from first being drafted to now,” Barlow said. “It's still got a lot to improve, but I think that I've taken the right steps towards that. I think I'm starting to grow into my body a little bit more.
“And just kind of think the game with a higher pace. Kind of being around the Jets organization for a year now, being around higher-end guys and older guys that have got that IQ, I think that's really helped me learn quicker and it's beneficial for me.”
Whether Barlow can play in the NHL this season remains to be seen, but he’s doing his part to prepare for that chance.
“I think it's just being ready for that opportunity,” he said. “It’s just preparing myself the best I can possibly be for the age that I am right now. I think it's a massive offseason for me.”
