The Owen Sound Attack made waves in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) by trading captain Colby Barlow to the Oshawa Generals.
General Manager Dale DeGray addressed the move in an exclusive interview with CKNXNewsToday.ca, acknowledging the difficulty of parting with a player of Barlow’s caliber.
"Colby has been one of the most prolific goal scorers to ever wear an Owen Sound jersey," DeGary said. "He’s a bona fide OHL sniper, and a star. His move to Oshawa will be a smooth transition for him, but we’ll remember him here as one of the top goal-scorers we've ever had."
Barlow’s departure was not part of Owen Sound’s original plan. DeGray says in a perfect world, the 19-year-old winger would have started the season with the Attack, similar to past trades involving players like Nick Suzuki and Markus Phillips. However, Barlow requested a trade before the start of the season, prompting the team to act earlier than expected.
In return, Owen Sound acquires two highly touted prospects. Tristan Delisle, a 5'11" forward, is coming off a strong rookie campaign with the Generals, in which he tallied seven goals and 11 assists. "He brings tremendous speed, compete level, and playmaking ability, qualities our coaches are looking for," DeGray remarked.
On the defensive side, 6'5" David Bedkowski will add size and mobility to the Attack’s blue line. Bedkowski, drafted 36th overall by Oshawa in 2022, significantly improved his game last season, going from a minus-39 rating to a plus-5. DeGray praised Bedkowski’s physical style and puck-moving abilities, predicting that he will solidify Owen Sound’s top-four defensive pairings.
"He’s a big body, right-shot defenceman, which we need. His mobility and physicality will make life difficult for opponents in front of our goaltenders," he said.
Along with the player acquisitions, Owen Sound received a haul of draft picks: two second-rounders, two third-rounders, a fifth, and a seventh. These assets will help the team in the future, but DeGray emphasized that the return benefits the team immediately. "It’s a good fit," he said. "Both parties can move forward comfortable with the deal."
DeGray was candid about the challenges of replacing a player like Barlow. "It’s never an ideal situation when you’re moving your top goal scorer. I don’t perceive that you can replace a player like that with anyone else, or you’d just keep them. Goal-scoring will be something we’ll need to address moving forward, but with our goaltending and the addition of Bedkowski and Delisle, we’ll be a stingy team defensively," he said.
Delisle is expected to make his Owen Sound debut this weekend, while Bedkowski is recovering from a minor injury and may be sidelined for the next few games. Attack fans will get their first look at the team’s new additions during Saturday’s home game against the Kitchener Rangers.