CHL Prospect Pipeline: Winnipeg Jets
CHL Prospect Pipeline highlights those who played in 2022-23, who were born in 2002 or later, and are signed by or on the reserve list of an NHL club.
Colby Barlow (F) — Owen Sound Attack
Acquired: 2023 NHL Draft (18th overall)
CHL career stats: 118GP | 76G | 50A | 126PTS
Barlow turned heads in 2022-23 with 46 goals in 59 games for the Attack as he finished fifth among all OHL skaters in that category. Barlow’s 79 points were also a career best as he was named to the OHL’s First All-Star Team.
Internationally, Barlow collected a Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal in 2022 and a bronze medal at the 2023 U18 Worlds.
Off the ice, Barlow impressed too as he was named the CHL’s and OHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year.
Colby Barlow buried his 4⃣0⃣th of the season Saturday night off of a wicked release as the 2023 #NHLDraft prospect and @AttackOHL captain continued his phenomenal season! 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/k3hdfafPXJ
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) February 26, 2023
Dom DiVicentiis (G) — North Bay Battalion
Acquired: 2022 NHL Draft (207th overall)
CHL career stats: 75GP | 50-17-3 | 2.42 GAA | .915 save percentage
DiVicentiis had an outstanding 2022-23 season as he led the OHL with 36 wins, a number that also set a Battalion franchise record, and claimed the OHL’s Goaltender of the Year award. His five shutouts also led all OHL goaltenders and ranked tied second among CHL netminders while he registered a 2.33 GAA and .919 save percentage.
DiVicentiis was also named to the OHL’s First All-Star Team and was selected to the CHL’s Second All-Star Team.
Jacob Julien (F) — London Knights
Acquired: 2023 NHL Draft (146th overall)
CHL career stats: 40GP | 9G | 7A | 16PTS
Julien’s first OHL season saw him play 40 times for the Knights and tally 16 points while in the postseason, he suited up 20 times as London made the OHL Championship Series.
Brad Lambert (F) — Seattle Thunderbirds
Acquired: 2022 NHL Draft (30th overall)
CHL career stats: 26GP | 17G | 21A | 38PTS
Lambert began the 2022-23 in the pros as he played 14 games with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. In January, he was assigned to Seattle where he impressed with 38 points in the regular season while in the postseason, he tallied 26 points in 17 games to help lead Seattle to a WHL title.
He tallied three points at the Memorial Cup presented by Kia while he also represented Finland for a third time at the 2023 World Juniors.
The @SeattleTbirds are officially on the #RoadtoMemorialCup❗️
Brad Lambert's overtime winner Friday secured their berth in the 2023 #WHLPlayoffs! 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/8JWOluCFQt
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) February 4, 2023
Connor Levis (F) — Kamloops Blazers
Acquired: 2023 NHL Draft (210th overall)
CHL career stats: 158GP | 52G | 71A | 122PTS
Levis appeared in all 68 games for Kamloops in 2022-23 and wound up a point shy of playing at a point-per-game pace. His 27 goals were a new career high while at the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia he had four points (one goal) in four games.
Dmitry Kuzmin (D) — Flint Firebirds
Acquired: 2021 NHL Draft (82nd overall)
CHL career stats: 122GP | 32G | 71A | 103PTS
Kuzmin’s 59 points in 2022-23 were the second most ever recorded by a Firebirds defenceman in a single season while among all OHL blueliners, he placed tied sixth.
The Belarus native scored 14 times while in the postseason, he had eight points in seven games. His 96 penalty minutes led all Flint skaters.
Thomas Milic (G) — Seattle Thunderbirds
Acquired: 2023 NHL Draft (151st overall)
CHL career stats: 91GP | 60-23-5 | 2.35 GAA | .917 save percentage
Milic’s 2022-23 campaign was one of the best by a CHL goaltender in recent memory.
He went 27-3-2 for the T-Birds in the regular season while in the playoffs, Milic went 16-3 with a 1.95 GAA as Seattle won the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
The 19-year-old would backstop Seattle to the final of the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia where they would fall to Quebec but his season was capped with the Del Wilson Trophy as the WHL’s top goaltender while he was also named WHL playoffs MVP. Milic, whose 2.08 GAA and .928 save percentage topped all WHL goaltenders, was named to the CHL’s First All-Star Team as well as the U.S. Division First All-Star Team.
Internationally, Milic starred at the 2023 World Juniors as he led Canada to gold with a 5-0-0 record alongside a 1.76 GAA and .932 save percentage.
Thomas Milic 👏🏻😲 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/0pDPIm6gjL
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) December 27, 2022
Danny Zhilkin (F) — Kitchener Rangers
Acquired: 2022 NHL Draft (77th overall)
CHL career stats: 186GP | 59G | 67A | 126PTS
Zhilkin split his 2022-23 campaign between Guelph and Kitchener after the Rangers acquired him at the OHL trade deadline. All in all, Zhilkin had a career high 29 goals and 56 points last season.