The Barrie Colts have reshaped their crease and bolstered their future draft capital, parting ways with second-year goaltender Arvin Jaswal.
Jaswal, along with a sixth-round pick in 2027, has been traded to the London Knights in exchange for a massive four-pick package. In return, Barrie receives a 2029 second-rounder (Kitchener), a 2028 third-rounder (Peterborough), a conditional 2028 third-rounder (London) if the 18-year-old plays next season, and a 2027 fourth-rounder (Brampton).
The six-foot-one, 175-pound Pickering native was slated to return to the lineup this weekend after suffering a foot injury in the summer that forced him to miss training camp and the opening 14 games of this season.
Jaswal had a stellar rookie campaign backing up Ben Hrebik in 2025-26, where he posted an 18-3-3 record, a 2.45 goals against average, and a .922 save percentage.
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With Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Matvei Nikonovich and Hagan Bach off to solid starts in net, Barrie vice president and general manager Marty Williamson faced a crowded crease and a delicate roster puzzle.
“Obviously, it was unfortunate with Jazzy getting hurt in the summer, but it gave us a chance to evaluate the two guys that we had, and we were kind of lucky we drafted (Nikonovich),” Williamson said. “We didn’t anticipate the injury, but it gave us a chance to look at the two of them, and then it’s about accumulating assets this year and trying to deepen our pick pool, and this move allows us to do that.”
With Jaswal being the better-known commodity, he generated the most interest in the trade market.
“With Nikonovich, basically, there was no trade in the league,” said Williamson. “We were just going to have to cut him and send him home, or we were going to have to move Jazz. So, that was what it came down to.
“It was tough. Jazz played awfully well for us last year and is, I think, a really promising goalie in this league and should have been drafted. I think he’ll prove that when he gets back playing, but our hands were tied a little bit on how we could manage our assets and the three goalies as best as possible. To get a second, two thirds, and a fourth, it’s pretty big for our draft board going forward.”
The market for the Yale commit heated up as he neared his return.
“Peterborough showed the most (interest) early, and then London came in with the biggest offer,” Williamson said. “When they knew I was getting closer to moving him to Peterborough, (London GM) Mark Hunter got very aggressive. We didn’t think we were getting that much originally. There wasn’t a huge market, and it kind of picked up at the end.”
For Barrie, the trade is yet another signal of a clear pivot towards youth following last season’s Eastern Conference championship.
“It’s 100 per cent a rebuild,” said Williamson. “We lost a lot of players from the team that we had built there, and our goal was to build the next group. We think we have some bright pieces on the blue line. We think we have some emerging forwards, and now it’s to continue drafting players, and if we have to make a trade, then we need assets to be able to make a trade, and that’s what this year is all about.
“Develop, develop, and gain assets.”
Head coach Dylan Smoskowitz praised the front office for navigating a difficult situation while turning extra depth into a future windfall.
“It starts with Marty Williamson. GMs are supposed to put teams in good spots, and that’s exactly what Marty did here,” Smoskowitz said. “He gave us the ability to dress two good goalies on any given night and then get some assets back for a third. So, really good job by Marty.
Smoskowitz echoed that the Knights are getting themselves a really good goalie.
“Arvin, from day one since he got to Barrie, has been a good soldier,” he said. “He’s been a class act, a fantastic teammate. I have no doubt, wherever he ends up, he’s going to have success.
“I’ll always be an Arvin Jaswal fan unless he’s playing against the Barrie Colts. I’ll be cheering for that kid.”
Jaswal now heads from a rebuilding club to a powerhouse contender in London, where he will battle Aleksei Medvedev for the starting job. Meanwhile, the Colts will roll forward with their young tandem of Nikonovich and 2009-born rookie Bach.
While Bach has experienced growing pains over his last two starts, Williamson remains firmly in his corner.
“I know Bach has had a couple of tough games, but he’s an ’09 goalie, and he’s also played very well,” Williamson noted. “We’ve had some ’09 players make a lot of mistakes, and they’re developing. Whatever happens, when it’s a goalie that makes a mistake, it looks really bad. We think Hagan Bach is a hell of a goalie. We think he’s going to be one of the top ones in the league, and he just needs to play and learn, and keep getting better.”
Import pick and Belarus native Nikonovich has played well since arriving in Barrie after attending the Penguins’ training camp.
“He looks a little scrabbly at times out there, but he keeps us in games and gives us chances to win,” Williamson said. “We like him, and we also think there’s a big learning curve and growth for him.
“This is his first time over here. The rinks are different. The angles are different, and he’s got to learn some things playing the puck, and all of those kinds of things he’s going to get better at. We think he has a pretty high ceiling, too.”
As the season progresses, Williamson believes throwing young talent into the fire will pay dividends down the road.
“Believe me, it will pay off for us,” he said. “We like the young players on our hockey team, and it’s going to be a tough year, but we’re okay with that. We have a very positive coach. We have a positive group of guys. We’ve got some good leaders in there with a couple of more older guys and that kind of stuff.“So, this is the type of year we expected, but I’m pretty proud of the way this team has played the last couple of weeks. We’ve given ourselves chances, and sometimes the youth catch up to us a little bit. We can’t quite close the door, but we’re learning.”
