With the holiday break upon us, we are about halfway through the OHL regular season. This calls for a look at each OHL team and their successes, but also where they need to improve. First up, the Barrie Colts.
Halfway through the regular season, the Barrie Colts haven't quite had the start that they were hoping for.
Last spring, Barrie's playoff run ended in the second round after a successful regular season. The Colts lost a number of players through the offseason, such as Evan Vierling, Ethan Cardwell, and most importantly, current AHL star defender Brandt Clarke.
Despite the losses, the Colts were still expected to be competitive in the standings and be a lock for a playoff spot. That hasn't been the case through the first half, and they have run into some serious injury trouble.
Edmonton Oilers prospect Beau Akey took a hit up high against the Steelheads on November 10th, and he hasn't hit the ice since. Akey has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to shoulder surgery, and the Colts are without their top defenceman.
Overage forward Jacob Frasca also hasn't played since November 5th due to injury.
These injuries have opened up holes in the lineup for a lot of Barrie's young talent. The Colts have brought in several rookies, such as Evan Passmore, Nolan Newton, Jaiden Newton, and Jack Brauti as a result of injuries.
Riley Patterson and Shamar Moses have also filled full time forward roles as rookies.
The player flying under the radar who's role has been highly elevated due to Akey's injury, is defender Kashawn Aitcheson. As a late 2006-born player, Aitcheson isn't eligible until the 2025 NHL Draft, but he is certainly making his case already. His dynamic skating and ability to create from the point has elevated Barrie's offence tremendously.
Beau Jelsma leads the team in scoring, and the undrafted forward is off to another successful season leading the Colts.
2024 Draft Eligible centreman Cole Beaudoin has contributed his fair share offensively, with 26 points through 29 games. Beaudoin's skating may be a concern, but his vision and playmaking ability is high-end.
Where the Colts have struggled is in their own zone. They struggle to keep the puck out of the net, and their abundance of young, inexperienced defenders have made it tough to survive defensively.
Sam Hillebrandt and Ben West have split the starts in goal thus far, but with Hillebrandt representing the USA at the World Juniors, they will have to find another solution.
If the Colts are going to try to make a push — currently sitting 9th in the Eastern Conference — they will have to make some serious improvements on defence.
Otherwise, I could see Barrie being sellers at the trade deadline on January 10th, and shipping out some of their top talent. They could gain a lot of assets for players like Beau Jelsma and Connor Punnett, who are nearing the end of their junior careers.