London Knights 2017-18 Season Thread (Part 1)

[BarberPole9]

dream dream sssss cant even skate in this league sorry.

With all due respect, I trust the London Knights' assessment on this player more than a guy on HFBoards.

 

[zman77]

Nicolas Mattinen Trade: Excellent Trade for the Knights
Flint's 3rd 2018
Flint's 2nd 2019
Niagara's 2nd 2020
Mississauga 3rd 2019 cond
The Knights had to make a move and trading Mattinen was the right one...............nice return.
London Knights are loaded on the Right D side:
Victor Mete.............Left Shot but likes playing the right side.
Evan Bouchard........Draft Year-2018 and will get plenty of ice time.
Andrew Perrott........has impressed with his foot speed and Hockey IQ.......he will play all season with the Knights.
Alec Regula.............a pleasant 'surprise signing' by the Knights..........Jacob Graves knock-off?

 

[fansince65]

Nicolas Mattinen Trade: Excellent Trade for the Knights
Flint's 3rd 2018
Flint's 2nd 2019
Niagara's 2nd 2020
Mississauga 3rd 2019 cond
The Knights had to make a move and trading Mattinen was the right one...............nice return.
London Knights are loaded on the Right D side:
Victor Mete.............Left Shot but likes playing the right side.
Evan Bouchard........Draft Year-2018 and will get plenty of ice time.
Andrew Perrott........has impressed with his foot speed and Hockey IQ.......he will play all season with the Knights.
Alec Regula.............a pleasant 'surprise signing' by the Knights..........Jacob Graves knock-off?

]

All the draft choices they can get will come in handy at the trade deadline if they decide to make a run at the Memorial cup , they can be used to fill the holes if they have any to fill ..

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Nicolas Mattinen Trade: Excellent Trade for the Knights
Flint's 3rd 2018
Flint's 2nd 2019
Niagara's 2nd 2020
Mississauga 3rd 2019 cond
The Knights had to make a move and trading Mattinen was the right one...............nice return.
London Knights are loaded on the Right D side:
Victor Mete.............Left Shot but likes playing the right side.
Evan Bouchard........Draft Year-2018 and will get plenty of ice time.
Andrew Perrott........has impressed with his foot speed and Hockey IQ.......he will play all season with the Knights.
Alec Regula.............a pleasant 'surprise signing' by the Knights..........Jacob Graves knock-off?

I would guess Mete goes back to his natural side for sure. Him and Bouchard are probably forming the top pairing.

Don't forget Fallowfield, who may get into the lineup before Perrott or Regula. They may take the 99' in the lineup, especially after a pretty strong campaign last year.

 

[nelli27]

Love this trade!!!!!!!!!!

 

[aresknights]

Expect more moves thru the first month plus of the season.
As mentioned a month ago, too many OHL level players and not enough PT to go around.

Perrott will def get minutes on this blue line on the bottom pair to start.(He may force his way up the ladder come Jan, but thats a tall order for rookie)
Very few will cheerlead harder for TF than I.
Gotta think Regula gets first crack of the bubble guys with his recent signing.
Going to be fun watching the youngins developing and interesting to see who gets moved elsewhere.
I posted before I think it'll similar to a couple years ago when a whack of 2nd-4th picks were scooped up by moving Gleason, Nother, Ryshma, Henderson et al. It was the right move then, sone didn't agree but it worked out well for all.
Hopefully this does also.

Good luck Mattinen, They'll be more opportunity for PT in Flint. Use it well.

 

[PhlyerPhanatic31]

I said last week that Regula signing would make a player on the back end expendable. Expected it to be more Golden than Mattinen..but considering Golden has little to no trade value right now I can see why it was Mattinen moved.

 

[GoKnightsGo44]

I had just said 'keep Mattinen' but if someone is going to pay a first rate price.... is there anyone else you would like Mr. FLINT?

 

[ohloutsider]

You guys should set up a "grab bag" sale - put some out the front door and you will get a couple of second rounders for each one - wonder why other team fans are jealous

 

[Purple Phart]

Nicholas Mattinen, like those before him is a proven OHL level player who has plenty to contribute. It'd not as though Flint is being completely fleeced. Nother, Henderson, Rymsha, Valentini, et al, are still playing in this league. For his 2 years of development and exposure with the Knights, he has elevated his worth, and the Knights have cashed in. I always liked Nick's game...good in the corners & along the boards, and usually made a tape-to-tape pass to start the forwards away. His biggest deficiency was his foot speed, but I did see that he was working to improve that, and was showing progress.

He'll be tough to play against, but I do wish him well.

 

[LKfan]

Good trade for Knights and good for Nick. I believe the Knights picked him in 6th round and after a couple of years get 2 2nds and a 3rd for him. Good asset management, especially give the number of D available.

 

[Snippit]

I like Mattinen, but that prize is uhh...wow. You take that and run every day of the week.

At the same time, our D could be looking very green if Crawley doesn't come back.

Potentially losing out on Bratt too if Jersey brass is so impressed with him. I could see him being AHL bound.

Juolevi/Crawley/Bratt/Jones are all up in the air. Really hoping we get 3/4 back.

 

[Fastpace]

Mattinen's been traded to Flint for...

This in my opinion can only mean the Knights are going for a fast and agile backend this season. The days of the big D's moving players from the front of nets are becoming pretty much obsolete !!

I do like the pakage they got for him, setting themselves once again at a chance to get good players at the deadline and an other crack at the big prize !

 

[Purple Phart]

One thing I do like about the Knights making trades early, is they will accumulate any early picks that are available from other teams in the market. They will maximize their returns.

When Windsor begins their fire sale in order to recoup picks, or attempts to sell big at the deadline, they may just find that most of the better surplus picks have been gobbled up. It's something that they can't ignore, and might pressure them into the trading mode earlier than they wanted.
Selling late might just mean that they won't get nearly what they were anticipating for those players they hope to trade off.
Fewer choice picks = a longer and more difficult rebuild.

 

[Londoner Knight]

Looks like the roster is getting worked on as we speak. Let's see how things unfold.

http://londonknights.com/roster/14/60

Also, who's wearing #49 right now?...is that a sign that Jones is done and gone? Per Knights twitter, a school event took place where players went out. Would it not make sense to wait and see what's going to happen to Jones before giving away his number?....really?

 

[PhlyerPhanatic31]

Looks like the roster is getting worked on as we speak. Let's see how things unfold.

http://londonknights.com/roster/14/60

Also, who's wearing #49 right now?...is that a sign that Jones is done and gone? Per Knights twitter, a school event took place where players went out. Would it not make sense to wait and see what's going to happen to Jones before giving away his number?....really?

Players wearing numbers that don't "belong" to them is common practice in exhibition games

 

[Fastpace]

You guys should set up a "grab bag" sale - put some out the front door and you will get a couple of second rounders for each one - wonder why other team fans are jealous

So if ohloutsider or others were to be in the Knights GM seat, what would become the new standard for any of those "grab bag" sale? To make the playing field fair to other teams, would ohloutsider or others set a minimum of no lower than 4th rounders for each sale. Why would a successful team lower the bar after accheiving high success and lowering the quality of the game in the process. Is'nt it best for other teams to work up their own high level of success and keep the game at this level. Look at Erie's own success or all the teams in the Western division of how their competition level have increased while playing in the same division as the Knights.

The Knights have drawn up their blueprint to success, other teams can follow it or draw up their owns !!! IMHO

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

Maybe I'm being cynical, but the Knights have drafted late the last few years - and one benefit of re-loading with early-ish picks is the ability to pick up an early player who is grumpy about the team who drafted him.

 

[aresknights]

Maybe I'm being cynical, but the Knights have drafted late the last few years - and one benefit of re-loading with early-ish picks is the ability to pick up an early player who is grumpy about the team who drafted him.

Pick up talent however you can get it, i say . ( just dont pull a Windsor)
It has been a couple years since London pulled off that type deal.

Any1 in particular you're thinking of?

 

[zman77]

Olli Juolevi...........Answers the Questions

Ben Kuzma: The Province
Sept. 19, 2017
Olli Juolevi isn’t sure what all the fuss is about.
This is what happens when confidence borders on cockiness and when underwhelming performances in the Young Stars tournament
or the National Hockey League pre-season are summed up with a shrug of the defenceman’s shoulders.
That’s commendable to those who know Juolevi and concerning to those who don’t.
It’s not that the already heavily scrutinized fifth overall pick in the 2016 draft isn’t aware of his shortcomings.
He’s just not going to lose sleep over it. Juolevi is 19 and playing a position where on-the-job training at this level
is not only arduous; every mistake is magnified by the trickle-down effect of pucks entering the wrong net.
“There aren’t many 19-year-old players playing defence in the NHL.
I want to be one of those guys,” Juolevi said Tuesday following a practice in preparation for
Wednesday’s pre-season game in Calgary.
How’s that for confidence or cockiness?
Among top 25 rookie blue-line scorers in 2016-17, only Zach Werenski of Columbus and Ivan Provorov of Philadelphia
played part of the season at age 19. And while Jakob Chychrun played in Arizona at age 18,
it would be a stretch to suggest that Juolevi can bust into a Canucks’ back end that looks set.
He would have to go from somewhat suspect to rock solid just to earn a longer look here to start the regular season.
“You have to be confident here,” stressed Juolevi.
“Mistakes happen. If you stay on those and are down all the time and aren’t positive, it’s going to be a tough ride."
"I want to make the team, but I know I have to be better."
"I need to see the ice better and read plays better to play in the NHL."
“I’m not the flashiest guy and I don’t have that many top 10 highlight goals.
My thing is puck movement and that good first pass. That’s my game.
If you make flashy plays, you might look better than you really are.”
The most likely scenario for Juolevi is either being dispatched back to London —
he’s too young to be assigned to the AHL’s Utica Comets —
or loaned to Turku of the Finnish elite League where former Canucks defenceman Sami Salo serves as an assistant coach.
http://theprovince.com/sports/hocke...evi-talks-good-game-just-isnt-playing-one-yet

 

[Fastpace]

Ben Kuzma: The Province
Sept. 19, 2017
Olli Juolevi isn’t sure what all the fuss is about.
This is what happens when confidence borders on cockiness and when underwhelming performances in the Young Stars tournament
or the National Hockey League pre-season are summed up with a shrug of the defenceman’s shoulders.
That’s commendable to those who know Juolevi and concerning to those who don’t.
It’s not that the already heavily scrutinized fifth overall pick in the 2016 draft isn’t aware of his shortcomings.
He’s just not going to lose sleep over it. Juolevi is 19 and playing a position where on-the-job training at this level
is not only arduous; every mistake is magnified by the trickle-down effect of pucks entering the wrong net.
“There aren’t many 19-year-old players playing defence in the NHL.
I want to be one of those guys,” Juolevi said Tuesday following a practice in preparation for
Wednesday’s pre-season game in Calgary.
How’s that for confidence or cockiness?
Among top 25 rookie blue-line scorers in 2016-17, only Zach Werenski of Columbus and Ivan Provorov of Philadelphia
played part of the season at age 19. And while Jakob Chychrun played in Arizona at age 18,
it would be a stretch to suggest that Juolevi can bust into a Canucks’ back end that looks set.
He would have to go from somewhat suspect to rock solid just to earn a longer look here to start the regular season.
“You have to be confident here,” stressed Juolevi.
“Mistakes happen. If you stay on those and are down all the time and aren’t positive, it’s going to be a tough ride."
"I want to make the team, but I know I have to be better."
"I need to see the ice better and read plays better to play in the NHL."
“I’m not the flashiest guy and I don’t have that many top 10 highlight goals.
My thing is puck movement and that good first pass. That’s my game.
If you make flashy plays, you might look better than you really are.”
The most likely scenario for Juolevi is either being dispatched back to London —
he’s too young to be assigned to the AHL’s Utica Comets —
or loaned to Turku of the Finnish elite League where former Canucks defenceman Sami Salo serves as an assistant coach.
http://theprovince.com/sports/hocke...evi-talks-good-game-just-isnt-playing-one-yet

Thanks zman77 !

The KNIGHTS may have figured this out themselves before packaging the Mattinan deal. Great artical , it does say that Joulevi see himself from this planet and he also acknowledges more improvements to his game is needed to play in the NHL as a 19 yr old defenseman. Despite his confidence, the realisation of his hope and dream is settling in the fact it may still be a short little distance away. We may see him back in London for another season a much more concentrate and mature young man !! IMHO

 

[ohloutsider]

So if ohloutsider or others were to be in the Knights GM seat, what would become the new standard for any of those "grab bag" sale? To make the playing field fair to other teams, would ohloutsider or others set a minimum of no lower than 4th rounders for each sale. Why would a successful team lower the bar after accheiving high success and lowering the quality of the game in the process. Is'nt it best for other teams to work up their own high level of success and keep the game at this level. Look at Erie's own success or all the teams in the Western division of how their competition level have increased while playing in the same division as the Knights.

The Knights have drawn up their blueprint to success, other teams can follow it or draw up their owns !!! IMHO

^^^ Yup that is what I was trying to say only with humor.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Does Formenton play top 6 this year?

 

[TheCoach]

Does Formenton play top 6 this year?

Yes i would think so

 

[JL17]

Does Formenton play top 6 this year?

I watched the Leafs Sens game last night and Alex was all over the ice and looked really good.