The message from Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel in late September to prospects Colby Barlow (2023 1st) and Brayden Yager (2023 1st) after they had been send back to junior was to go back to their respective teams and do what you need to do to play your way onto Team Canada for the World Junior Tournament in Ottawa in late December.
Specifically when talking about Barlow his message was:
“..go down there and try to be in a position to get on that World Junior team. The hard part is when you go back is that you take your foot off the pedal and you kinda relax. He needs to make sure that everyday is a learning day for him. That it’s a growth day. Whether that’s in the weight room or whether that’s on the ice…”
It was an odd situation with Barlow as there were reports he didn’t want to go back to Owen Sound where he had spent the prior three seasons and was team captain. Sure enough he was sent down on September 29th and a few days later was traded to Oshawa.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
He got off to an incredibly slow start with the Generals putting up just one goal and two assists in his first 10 games. Since then he’s become more productive with 9G 4A in his last 14 games although most of his goals (6 of 10) have come on the power play. His PTS/G are down from 1.16 last season to 0.67 obviously hampered by his first 10 games of the season. His shot is still lethal as you can see here, here and here.
Oshawa is currently in 3rd place in the OHL’s Eastern Conference at 16-9-1.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
He also had these words for Yager when it came to going back to junior and potentially earning a spot on Team Canada:
“…another guy. Go back to junior, I don’t know what kinda team he’s gonna have, but again same like I said to Barlow, if he gets a chance to play on that World Juniors, go dominate, be that elite player and let things kinda move forward from there.”
Last year when Yager was sent from the Penguins camp back to Moose Jaw he was joining a much different team than this year’s version. Last year the Warriors were a much stronger and deeper club than this one after a number of his teammates graduated to pro hockey like Jagger Firkus, Denton Mateychuk, Atley Calvert, Martin Rysavy, Matthew Savoie, etc. That Warriors team would win their first WHL championship in franchise history and go on to play in the Memorial Cup.
On the same day Barlow’s trade to Oshawa was announced out west Yager was being named captain of Moose Jaw. Despite the fact that the team lost quite a bit of depth and has struggled to win on a game by game basis, Yager has continued to produce for his hockey club.
He’s got 11G 19A for 30 points in 21 games which is a 1.43 PTS/G pace. While that is below last year’s 1.67 this is with him shouldering the load of being the main driver on his team.
Moose Jaw is currently in 10th place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference at 6-15-3-1.
Of course this could all change rather rapidly for Yager as Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects is reporting that he is hearing that Brayden could be dealt to Lethbridge, who are currently ranked 7th in the Eastern Conference.
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