Originally Posted by Sandman
I recently read a comparison to Barlow that I like- Mason McTavish. Both are thick and stocky, both are known for their hard, heavy shot, and both are able to grow caveman beards in their teens. Barlow can score from anywhere- from far out, from cleaning up in the crease, off the cycle, or off the rush. His shot is already NHL-calibre, with a paralyzing wrister, and a blistering one-timer. His team, Owen Sound is pretty middling- they are 13th out of 20 in the standings, and 12th in goals-scored, yet Barlow leads his team by 13 points, and 16 goals (46 in 59, and 79 points). He has that goal-scorers mentality, where he finds the right spots to be, and creates passing lanes. He will go to the net, the corners or any other danger area, and he competes hard. Barlow is a complete player, as he can play in any situation-he’s as good on the PK as he is on the PP. He’s very details oriented, and plays a pro style. This kid has oodles of character, and is Captain of his team.
Drawbacks? For one, he’s not as much of a playmaker as he is a scorer, despite putting up 33 apples. He’s also not much of a transitional player, and usually defers to others to carry the puck in, thereby entering as F2. Depite this, he’s actually good defensively against transition. He uses his size in puck battles, and in front of the net quite effectively, but he’s not known as a big hitter. He could stand to exert more effort in his own zone at times, too. Unfortunately, he plays W and not the more important position, center. CB exhibits excellent speed, but he’s not a burner-there’s room to grow in this area. I really like this player, and I believe he’ll be taken around 8-13.
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