CHL Prospect Pipeline: Winnipeg Jets

CHL Prospect Pipeline highlights those who played in 2023-24, who were born in 2004 or later, and are signed by or on the reserve list of an NHL club. Players who played NHL games in 2023-24 and were not returned to their CHL club are not considered.

Colby Barlow (F) — Owen Sound Attack
Acquired: 2023 NHL Draft (18th overall)
CHL career stats: 168GP | 116G | 68A | 184PTS
Signed: Yes

Barlow recorded his second straight 40-goal season to lead the Attack in goals. His 40 goals ranked tied eighth among OHL skaters while he recorded 58 points in just 50 games. After the Attack’s first round exit in the OHL Playoffs, Barlow made his pro debut with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose where in three games he had a goal and two assists.

The 19-year-old was the CHL and OHL Scholastic Player of the Year in 2023 and won gold at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and bronze at the 2023 U18 World Championships.

Dom DiVincentiis (G) — North Bay Battalion
Acquired: 2022 NHL Draft (207th overall)
CHL career stats: 117GP | 77-26-7 | 2.68 GAA | .907 save percentage
Signed: Yes

DiVincentiis had another solid campaign between the pipes as he tallied 27 wins, tied for the sixth most in the OHL. In 42 games he posted a 3.13 GAA and recorded his lone shutout of the season Feb. 1. Injury prevented DiVincentiis from taking much part in the Battalion’s run to the OHL Eastern Conference Championship Series for the third straight year as he appeared just twice in the postseason. The 20-year-old is just four wins shy of the Battalion’s all-time wins record for a goaltender.

Kevin He (F) — Niagara IceDogs
Acquired: 2024 NHL Draft (109th overall)
CHL career stats: 130GP | 77-26-7 | 2.68 GAA | .907 save percentage
Signed: No

He parlayed a 53-point campaign into being a fourth round pick after a breakout season with Niagara. He led the IceDogs with 31 goals while he ranked second in scoring. By being selected 109th overall, He became the highest Chinese-born player ever drafted by an NHL club.

Jacob Julien (F) — London Knights
Acquired: 2023 NHL Draft (146th overall)
CHL career stats: 107GP | 38G | 56A | 94PTS
Signed: No

A late arrival into the OHL, the 2004-born Julien brokeout in his first full OHL season. He had 28 goals, 49 assists and 78 points as he finished fourth in Knights scoring. In the postseason, he played at a point-per-game pace as he had nine goals and 18 points as London claimed a fifth OHL championship. At the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow, he had three assists in four games.

Connor Levis (F) — Vancouver Giants
Acquired: 2023 NHL Draft (210th overall)
CHL career stats: 223GP | 76G | 102A | 178PTS
Signed: No

Levis split his 2023-24 season between Kamloops and Vancouver where he had 24 goals and 55 points. With the Giants, the Vancouver, B.C., native played 28 games and had 27 points (14 goals). After the Giants were eliminated from the WHL Playoffs in five games, Levis made his pro debut with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose where he made two regular season appearances.

Markus Loponen (F) — Victoria Royals
Acquired: 2024 NHL Draft (155th overall)
CHL career stats: 0GP | 0G | 0A | 0PTS
Signed: No

Loponen dominated in the Finnish U20 league as he had 54 points (25 goals) in 45 games with Karpat. As captain, Loponen won the Yrjo Hakala Award as the U20 SM-sarja rookie of the year and owned the league’s best +/- with a +40 rating. He also helped their U18 team to a bronze medal with six points in three postseason games. Victoria selected the 18-year-old 23rd overall in the 2024 CHL Import Draft.

Kieron Walton (F) — Sudbury Wolves
Acquired: 2024 NHL Draft (187th overall)
CHL career stats: 111GP | 26G | 30A | 56PTS
Signed: No

Walton’s second season in Sudbury saw him register career highs in goals (18), assists (25) and points (43) while he appeared in all but three regular season contests. Walton suited up nine times in the postseason as the Wolves reached Round 2 for the first time in five years.

Brayden Yager (F) — Moose Jaw Warriors
Acquired: Trade with Pittsburgh | 2023 NHL Draft
CHL career stats: 211GP | 104G | 146A | 250PTS
Signed: Yes

Yager was instrumental in Moose Jaw winning its first WHL championship in 2023-24; he had a career high 95 points (35 goals) to finish tied 14th in WHL scoring while in the postseason, he collected 27 points (11 goals) to help lead the Warriors to the Ed Chynoweth Cup. At the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow, he was named to the tournament’s All-Star team after he had six points (three goals) in four games as the Warriors reached the semi-final.

Additionally, Yager was named the CHL Sportsman of the Year and also received the Brad Hornung Trophyas the WHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player for the second consecutive season.

The 2021-22 CHL and WHL Rookie of the Year, Yager also has a gold medal to his name with Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He suited up for Canada at the 2024 World Juniors where he had five points in five games.

Winnipeg acquired his rights from Pittsburgh at the end of August.