We’re settling in to the back half of the first round of this year’s first round, and so far, it seems, we’re positively flush with wingers with a high scoring upside. If you were hoping for a break from that, well, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. We’ve got Colby Barlow, another winger on deck today.
Avoiding the risk of sounding like we’re falling victim to some kind of winger ennui, we’ll be direct here: there’s a lot to like in Barlow’s toolkit. Owen Sound’s top points getter, and the top goal scorer among draft eligible players in the OHL, Barlow took a big step forward in his development this year, and has turned a lot of heads in the process.
Pre Draft Rankings
No. 12, Central Scouting (North American Skaters)
No. 20, Corey Pronman (The Athletic)
No. 9, Sportsnet
No. 17, EliteProspects
No. 8, Bob McKenzie (TSN)
Statistics
What’s to like?
What immediately jumps off the page with Barlow, as you may have gathered from that table, is his offensive ability. Barlow has an excellent shot, and he’s a threat to score on the rush, as well as from a standstill, as his shot can beat goalies from the middle distance, and he has the hands to convert on chances in close as well. He isn’t necessarily known for his playmaking in this same way that he’s known for his shot, but he’s still solid in this area too – he’s a clean passer and has the vision and creativity to make some nice setups for his linemates.
Barlow is also quite adept on the defensive side as well. Again, it isn’t the hallmark of his game per se, but he’s responsible, and has been given some penalty killing duties with Owen Sound, having earned the trust of his coaches. He’s a direct, hardworking player, checks well, and that’s an asset to him on the defensive side.
What’s more, Barlow already has one of the more professional ready frames that you’re going to see from players coming out of the OHL. He’s listed at 6′, 190 pounds already, and he’s shown a good aptitude for leveraging that frame in battles, the strength is already there as well.
What’s not to like?
For as much as his physically maturity has been an asset to him in his draft year, aiding his overall play and making him appear more easily projectable, it is also in some ways a cause for concern. It opens the door for questions about his true talent level and upside – is he really a player much more talented than his peers in the OHL, or is he just benefitting from being bigger and stronger than many of them? And does the fact that he’s already reached a point of physical maturity mean that there’s now less room for development ahead of him? There’s no slam dunk, definitive answer at the moment, just something to consider.
How would he fit in the Flyers system?
While we’re on the “not a slam dunk” track – without sounding like too much of a downer – the fit for Barlow in the Flyers’ system wouldn’t be perfect or seamless. On the one hand, he is a very skilled player who brings a good bit of offensive threat, and that’s something that the Flyers could certainly use. That’s something that would be hard to pass up.
But, on the other hand, Barlow is more adept on the scoring side than on the playmaking side, and there’s an argument to be made that the Flyers are in more dire need of players who can set up some of the scorers they already have in the system. That shouldn’t be an outright reason to pass on him, of course, but it’s another thing to consider.
Can the Flyers actually get him?
Things have gotten a lot more interesting since the Flyers added the 22nd overall pick. That said, a player like Barlow is likely sitting in that middle space where he would be a bit of a reach to take at seventh overall – there will be more dynamic players still on the board at that point – but he’ll probably be taken before the 22nd pick comes around. So it goes.
What scouts are saying
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. Barlow’s playmaking isn’t his selling point, but it’s good enough, especially with how skilled he is at creating scoring opportunities for himself. – Corey Pronman, The Athletic
Colby Barlow knows exactly what he needs to do in order score goals. Get to high danger. Establish open ice. He does that on repeat. Every shift. He is looking to acquire open ice to create passing lanes and then quickly get a shot off at net-front. Barlow has found success in high danger areas off of the rush and mid-cycle. He does a good job of hanging in stride with his puck carrying teammate on odd man rushes to provide a back door option at net-front. When mid-cycle, Barlow acquires open ice to quickly get his hands onto rebounded pucks at the doorstep, but he also does it to key up a one-timer backdoor option for his teammates. – Josh Tessler, Smaht Scouting
Another day, another addition. Welcome to the poll, Daniil But!
He’s excellent on the wall in puck protection and also has some outside-in skill so that he can attack off of holds into the middle third. He’s got impressive shooting mechanics given how long his stick is, and he regularly pulls pucks into his feet to change his angle face-up against goalies. I love the way he shields pucks and waits for his opportunities to attack. While he’s got some work to do to get a little quicker from the jump in the game’s 10-foot races, he does have some power and balance through his stride to build upon and skates pretty well for his size and age. It’s hard to be a true top-of-the-lineup forward at his size, though, and I think he projects more as a complementary scorer who gives a lineup a bit of a different look. There’s a lot to work with though, for sure. – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
Who should be No. 19 on the Community Draft Board?
Previously on the 2023 Community Draft Board…
