2. Alex Formenton - London Knights
Excellent year... he was able to nearly double his goal production in 17 less games. He was also London's best player in their first round playoff loss to Owen Sound. Last year I wrote, "Would love to see him really develop as a dominant forechecker and penalty killer too." And Formenton did just that. His speed is such an asset away from the puck and his physical intensity level was significantly higher this year. He developed a lot of pest like qualities this year, engaging physically to get under the skin of his opponents. This was critical for his development. His shot and confidence offensively were also much better this year. He attacks the net and the middle of the ice with reckless abandon. While his ability to carry the puck and create plays was definitely improved, there is still room for development in this department. His vision with the puck could stand to improve, being able to use his speed to push the pace, but slow the game down when needed to make a nice drop pass or find a linemate skating the middle. The development of that part of his game will be crucial for him if he wants to be more than a very good 3rd line energy player. Even though I think that there's a significant chance he ends up in Ottawa for the year, I'd like to see him back in London. He grew so much this year as a player and I think it's worth being patient to see how much more his game can grow, especially offensively. The Knights should be a quality team again and I think he'd be a 35-40 goal scorer.