Winnipeg Jets sign 2023 first rounder Colby Barlow to entry level contract

The Winnipeg Jets have signed 2023 first round pick Colby Barlow to a three year, entry level contract.

He was selected 18th overall this past June.

Barlow, the latest of four first round selections for the Jets in the last three years, is poised to return to the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack for his third season, where he was fifth in the OHL last year with 46 goals. He was the only under-18 aged player to crack the 40 goal mark.

Barlow has joined the Winnipeg Jets main camp this year, and will be looking to soak it all in and learn from the best the Jets have to offer. Listed at six foot one and 194 pounds, he is physically mature for his age, and that should help him keep up with the strength and pace of the older players.

Barlow is coming off a solid, but unspectacular showing at the Young Stars tournament in Penticton last weekend, where he managed a goal in three games. The age of players at that tournament can vary – some players are 22 or 23 years old – and Barlow was among the youngest players there. It’s no surprise he wasn’t a stand out.

He did well for his age though, carrying the puck with poise (though would have liked him to connect with teammates more after) and finding open space to get shots on net.

The consensus among prospect writers online and some of the TV personalities is that the Jets did well with this pick.

Hopefully Jets fans can get a look at him during a few preseason games before he goes back to the OHL, where he is expected to dominate once again.

Winnipeg’s first pre-season game is Sunday, September 24th at 5pm CT.