The Winnipeg Jets prospects won both of their games in the four-team prospect mini-showcase in Montreal. On Saturday night, they defeated the Montreal Canadians prospects 4-3. Next, on Sunday, the Jets prospects defeated their Ottawa Senators counterparts in overtime, 3-2. The Winnipeg hopefuls did not play the prospects of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Here are my Three Stars from the prospect games.
Third Star: Colby Barlow (LW)
Barlow finished the weekend with a goal and two assists in the 2 games. He was the Jets first round pick (18th overall) in the 2023 draft. After finishing his junior career with a strong OHL playoff run with the Oshawa Generals, Barlow is projected to begin his professional hockey career with Winnipeg’s AHL affiliate, Manitoba Moose. If he has a solid training camp and performs well on the Moose, he may earn a call-up during the season with the Jets.
Second star: Domenic DiVincentiis (G)
DiVincentiis’ was the main reason the Jets prospects were able to defeat Ivan Demidov and the Habs prospects on Saturday night. He stopped 38 of 41 shots. The Jets 7th round pick from the 2022 draft had an up and down season last year, splitting time between the AHL and ECHL.
With the Jets boasting the Jennings trophy winning goaltending tandem last season, it will be quite the uphill battle for DiVincentiis to see any NHL games in the regular season anytime soon barring injury.
First star: Danny Zhilkin (C)
Zhilkin was the MVP of the Jets prospect team and perhaps the entire showcase over the weekend. He finished the weekend with 4 points (2G, 2A). He also scored the winning goal against the Habs prospects with under a minute to go in regulation. The Jets made Zhilkin their 3rd round pick (77 th overall) in the 2022 draft. Over the last two seasons with the Moose, he has produced only 5 goals in 97 games. In order to get a shot with the big club, in addition to having a strong training camp, Zhilkin will have to really light it up in his third go around with the AHLMoose.
Jets prospect injured vs. Habs, parent club prepares for games
It would have been a perfect weekend for the Jets prospects had it not been for the injury to Kieron Walton. Walton left the Habs game early. Hopefully the injury is not serious. The 6-foot-6 Walton is expected to resume his tenure in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves where he had a
monster season last year.
Meanwhile, for the parent team in the NHL, pre-season action starts this weekend. Winnipeg plays the Minnesota Wild on Sunday (4:00 p.m. CDT). NHL Network will televise the game.
