London Knights 2018 Offseason Thread

[cupcrazyman]

Committed to Harvard and thats not a school you just leave unless your promised the world

That's the big question, What are these players promised ?
Would be interesting to see the number of players over the last few years that have commited to their ohl team & walked away from the NCAA

 

[zman77]

Alec Regula & Jordan Kooy............All-Rookie Team
OntarioHockeyLeague‏Verified account @OHLHockey 10h10 hours ago

2017-18 #OHL 1st All-Rookie Team:
Forwards: LW @blade_jenkins20, C @cam_hillis, RW @ASvechnikov14.
Defence: @Rasmussandin & @AlecRegula.
Goaltender: @GuzdaMack.
London Knights Retweeted
OntarioHockeyLeague‏Verified account @OHLHockey 9h9 hours ago

2017-18 #OHL 2nd All-Rookie Team:
Forwards: LW @max_golod, C @RSuzuki61, RW @arthurkaliyev34.
Defence: Mitchell Brewer & @NicoGross66.
Goaltender: @jkooy31.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

HERE YOU GO

Owen Say G 16 LONDON, ON LONDON MIDGET AAA LDN 8TH 2017
Brett Brochu G 15 TILBURY, ON CHATHAM MIN MID AAA 5'8 130lbs LDN 6TH 2018
Riley McCabe G 17 ARTHUR, ON WATERLOO WOLVES AAA 5'11 185lbs LDN 1ST* 2018
Owen Willis G 15 TORONTO, ON MARKHAM MIN MID AAA 6'1 146lbs LDN 13TH 2018

Cam Hanson D 17 EXETER, ON NORTH MIDDLESEX STARS 6'7 181lbs FREE AGENT
Liam Whittaker D 16 HOLLAND LANDING, ON STRATHROY ROCKETS 6'0 179lbs LDN 5TH 2017
Gerard Keane D 16 HOMER GLEN, IL CHICAGO MISSION U16 5'11 170lbs LDN 3RD 2018
Ryan Bangs D 18 STITTSVILLE, ON ST. THOMAS STARS 5'10 161lbs LDN 3RD 2016
Ben Roger D 15 BRIGHTON, ON QUINTE MIN MID AAA 5'11 128lbs LDN 4TH 2018
Cam Fulop D 17 VAUGHAN KINGS MID AAA LDN 14TH 2017
Noah Church D
Avery Winslow D 15 CLEARWATER, FL NOTRE DAME MID AAA 5'10 168lbs LDN 5TH 2018
Josh Wright D 16 WOODSTOCK, ON WOODSTOCK JR C 6'1 170lbs FREE AGENT
Wesley Poirier D 16 LONDON, ON LAMBTON MID AAA FREE AGENT
Evan Orr D 17 DETROIT, MI LITTLE CAESARS U16 5'10 170lbs FREE AGENT
Rewdy Scott D 18 CAMBRIDGE, ON BRANTFORD 99ers JR B 6'1 174lbs GUE 13TH 2016

Adam Panacci F 18 NOBLETON, ON BONNYVILLE POINTIACS 5'11 181lbs SBY 7TH 2015
Nicolas Chartrand F 16 ROCKLAND, ON NAVAN GRADS 5'11 165lbs LDN 10TH 2017
Dane Dowiak F 16 WEXFORD, PA PITTSBURGH ELITE U16 5'10 165lbs LDN 9TH 2018
Sahil Panwar F 16 CERRITOS, CA HONEYBAKED U16 6'1 183lbs LDN 2ND 2018
Brayden Krieger F 17 ELORA, ON LISTOWEL CYCLONES 6'0 161lbs LDN 6TH 2017
Carter McLiwain F 17 EXETER, ON LONDON MID AAA FREE AGENT
Tyler Kress F 17 CAMBRIDGE, ON PARIS MOUNTIES FREE AGENT
Carson Riddle F 16 HOLLY, MI HONEYBAKED U16 5'8 152lbs FREE AGENT
Dario Beljo F 15 SUDBURY, ON SUDBURY MIN MID AAA 6'1 161lbs LDN 10TH 2018
Max Klanow F 17 HOLLY, MI LITTLE CAESARS U16 5'9 161lbs FREE AGENT
Will Murray F 18 ORLEANS, ON NAVAN GRADS 6'2 181lbs LDN 11TH 2016
Chase Strychaluk F 15 OAKVILLE, ON OAKVILLE MIN MID AAA 6'0 238lbs LDN 12TH 2018
Eric Maltby F 17 KITCHENER, ON GUELPH MID AAA 6'0 168lbs LDN 3RD* 2018
Emmett Pierce F 16 NAPANEE, ON STRATHROY ROCKETS 6'6 192lbs LDN 4TH 2017
Brendan Mairs F 15 LONDON, ON LONDON MIN MID AAA 6'0 163lbs LDN 7TH 2018
Sean McGurn F 15 OTTAWA, ON OTTAWA MID AAA 5'9 157lbs LDN 3RD 2018
Grant Eastwood F 15 KANATA, ON SMITHS FALLS MID AAA 5'9 154lbs LDN 11TH 2018
Luke Evangelista F 16 OAKVILLE, ON OAKVILLE MIN MID AAA 5'10 150lbs LDN 1ST 2018
Vincent Labelle F 15 OTTAWA, ON ROCKLAND MID AAA 5'4 134lbs LDN 15TH 2018
Ryan Taylor F
Antonio Stranges F 16 PLYMOUTH, MI LITTLE CAESARS U16 5'10 165lbs LDN 2ND 2018
Daniel Torrealba F 17 TORONTO, ON NORTH YORK MID AAA 5'10 154lbs LDN 11TH 2017

Pretty nice list. Shouldn't be hard to find some quality players there to fill depth roles. With the amount of quality depth they have, London should be able to build up a decent stable of assets by trading some of the excess, especially since they do not really need to acquire anyone besides some OAers through trade.

2000's
C/RW Elijah Gonsalves (OJHL); 5'9", 161lbs; 52GMS-14G-29A-43PTS (16GMS-3G-7A-10PTS); 2017 U18 1st round pick (NCAA Commit)
C Jared Hill (GOJHL); 5'11", 185lbs; 48GMS-12G-25A-37PTS (4GMS-2G-0A-2PTS); 2017 U18 2nd round pick
LD Tyler Beneteau (GOJHL); 5'10", 190lbs; 47GMS-1G-17A-18PTS (6GMS-1G-0A-1PTS); 2017 U18 3rd round pick
LD Jake Smith (PJCHL); 5'9", 150lbs; 30GMS-2G-9A-11PTS (4GMS-0G-1A-1PTS); 2017 U18 4th round pick
RW Liam Robertson (OJHL); 6'2", 165lbs; 46GMS-18G-18A-36PTS (NO PLAYOFF STATS); 2016 3rd round pick (NCAA Commit)
LW Johnny Gruden (USHL); 6'0", 172lbs; 25GMS-15G-19A-34PTS (NO PLAYOFF STATS); 2016 5th round pick (NCAA Commit)
C Christian Clark (OJHL/GOJHL); 5'9", 157lbs; 22GMS-2G-2A-4PTS (15GMS-1G-1A-2PTS); 2016 7th round pick
LD Christian Krygier (USHL); 6'2", 187lbs; 48GMS-0G-8A-8PTS (3GMS-0G-1A-1PTS); 2016 9th round pick (NCAA Commit)
LD Cole Krygier (USHL); 6'3", 190lbs; 58GMS-3G-14A-17PTS (3GMS-1G-1A-2PTS); 2016 10th round pick (NCAA Commit)
LW Francois Drouin (CCHL); 6'3", 194lbs; 22GMS-0G-2A-2PTS (NO PLAYOFF STATS); 2016 13th round pick (Selected by North Bay in 3rd round of 2017 U18 Draft)
C Jett Leishman (NOJHL); 6'4", 190lbs; 52GMS-3G-10A-13PTS (15GMS-0G-0A-0PTS); 2016 14th round pick
LW Bobby Harrison (GOJHL); 5'9", 161lbs; 49GMS-22G-39A-61PTS (17GMS-7G-9A-16PTS); 2016 15th round pick

2001's
LD Alex Vlasic (USHL); 6'5", 190lbs; 34GMS-4G-9A-13PTS (NO PLAYOFF STATS); 2017 4th round pick (NCAA Commit)
RD Hunter Skinner (USHL); 6'2", 165lbs; 31GMS-0G-0A-0PTS (NO PLAYOFF STATS); 2017 5th round pick (NCAA Commit)
G Cameron Rowe (USHL); 6'1", 185lbs; 23GMS-4.29GAA-87.0SVS% (NO PLAYOFF STATS); 2017 7th round pick (NCAA Commit)
RD Noah Beck (GTHL); 6'3", 179lbs; (NO RECORDED STATS); 2017 7th round pick (may have actually been invited)
C/LW Danny Weight (USHL); 5'11", 187lbs; 31GMS-12G-10A-22PTS (NO PLAYOFF STATS); 2017 9th round pick (NCAA Commit)
RW David Anderson (HIGH-IN); 5'11",187lbs; 38GMS-11G-15A-26PTS (NO PLAYOFF STATS): 2017 10th round pick
C Keighan Gerrie (SIJHL); 5'11", 165lbs; 53GMS-24G-27A-51PTS (8GMS-6A-4A-10PTS); 2017 12th round pick
G Jack Williams (T1EHL U16); 6'4", 185lbs; 21GMS-2.50GAA-90.1SVS% (NO PLAYOFF STATS); 2017 13th round pick (NCAA Commit)

2002's
LD Jacob Truscott (Midget); 5'11",143lbs; 48GMS-12G-33A-45PTS (NO PLAYOFF STATS); 2018 8th round pick (NCAA Commit)

These are the guys who did not show up. Pretty guys who are set on going to the NCAA (or could end up committing somewhere eventually, like Anderson and Hill), and a few later round (or U18 draft) long shots who busted (the FA's they invited are much better players IMO). I am surprised Harrison, Gerrie and Beck did not get invites (although I could not find anything on Noah Church and I am kind of wondering if that is actually supposed to be Noah Beck, because it seems weird that they wouldn't invite a larger RD who did pretty well in Midget AAA last year as an 01'). The other put up pretty impressive numbers so unless they did not want to come, I would have thought they would have been invited. Also not to be super picky but for the sake of total correctness, Tyler Kress was a 15th round pick in 2017 by London, not a FA. For those who care anyways.

 

[Rubbers29]

View media item 1995At Mini camp Evangelista and Stranges wearing brand new Knights helmets #14 & 40 respectively
(Not sure why picture is upside down will try to fix later)

Edit: might not mean much as Panwar (62) and Keane (45) are as well

 

[SeaOfBlue]

View media item 1995At Mini camp Evangelista and Stranges wearing brand new Knights helmets #14 & 40 respectively
(Not sure why picture is upside down will try to fix later)

Edit: might not mean much as Panwar (62) and Keane (45) are as well

It could mean all 4 are coming? Apparently you can get the first two picks + two more so that would mean something.

 

[LDN]

It could mean all 4 are coming? Apparently you can get the first two picks + two more so that would mean something.

I think thats what it means! That would be great!

 

[TheCoach]

Max klanow impressed me alots of hustle and he has good speed

 

[SeaOfBlue]

So Noah Church is a real person. I did find him, just he's not on eliteprospects.com (which is pretty weird because they usually have even the most obscure players, and he does not really play on an obscure team).

Noah Beck must not have been invited. Maybe he wants to go to a team where he has a better shot. However they did get RD Joe Kennedy (4th round pick from Saginaw in 2017), and he's better. Trading up 3 rounds and getting a better player for free is always worth the trade off.

 

[Rubbers29]

It could mean all 4 are coming? Apparently you can get the first two picks + two more so that would mean something.

Definitely possible, however I would find it a little odd to commit to sign all 4 before they even dropped the puck on camp. I could see 2 (Evangelista + Stranges) and then have a little competition at camp. Keane looked good out there as well, Panwar had some flashes, made a few very impressive passes and played well in his own zone, but seemed a little more raw, was easily shut down a few times. I’ll have a few more notes shortly, there were a few other players that caught my eye

 

[TheCoach]

Definitely possible, however I would find it a little odd to commit to sign all 4 before they even dropped the puck on camp. I could see 2 (Evangelista + Stranges) and then have a little competition at camp. Keane looked good out there as well, Panwar had some flashes, made a few very impressive passes and played well in his own zone, but seemed a little more raw, was easily shut down a few times. I’ll have a few more notes shortly, there were a few other players that caught my eye

Evangelista is already signed technically im sure it will be offical at 1:30 along with others

 

[may know]

So Noah Church is a real person. I did find him, just he's not on eliteprospects.com (which is pretty weird because they usually have even the most obscure players, and he does not really play on an obscure team).

Noah Beck must not have been invited. Maybe he wants to go to a team where he has a better shot. However they did get RD Joe Kennedy (4th round pick from Saginaw in 2017), and he's better. Trading up 3 rounds and getting a better player for free is always worth the trade off.

Noah Beck is likely getting ready for the national championship with the Toronto Nats midget team.

 

[Rubbers29]

Looks like 3 of them

 

[Starry Knight]

Since there's already a roster posted I won't bother typing out the full roster and I'll just give my thoughts on the players that stood out to me or that I have comments on (no slight intended to anyone I don't list).

Team Green:

Defensemen:
Ryan Bangs: One of the older players at camp, so it should be expected that he would stand out. Had some nice rushes and defensive plays. Overall, his passing/skating profile looks like a player that should be able to step into the OHL next year. Was probably the best performing defenseman out there.

Ben Roger: Looked quite good out there this morning. Not afraid to join the rush and had strong instincts in both ends of the ice; however, he is very skinny. He needs to add some muscle mass before making the transition to the OHL. I think he certainly has a future in the OHL based off what I saw today if continues to develop.

Cameron Fulop: He had a few good plays out there and was overall pretty decent. Could maybe fill in this year in case of injuries/WJC.

Forwards:
Antonio Stranges: Best player on the ice, and it wasn't remotely close. The puck is super glued to his stick, he's faster than everyone else, his lateral agility is remarkable, his passing is sublime, and he has a quality shot. Honestly, I know this a bold prediction, but I think he could put up over a point per game this year. He is a special player that will be a superstar at the OHL level. Also, his shootout moves were jaw-dropping. I regret not filming them.

Sean McGurn: Wasn't as noticeable as some of his teammates, but he made a lot of little plays. Looked like a Billy Moskal type of player. Glue guy for the middle of the lineup that does everything a coach wants with the potential for even more.

Luke Evangelista: Was fairly quiet out there today, but there was certainly glimpses of what makes him so highly regarded. His passing ability may have been the best out there. Had some very nice cross-ice passes that connected tape-to-tape. Didn't show the same motor/speed of Stranges, which was a big separator of the two.

Team Gold:

Defensemen:
Liam Whittaker: Was just about as good as Ryan Bangs out there today. Was probably more dynamic than Bangs and had some really nice rushes up the ice with the puck, but was not as consistent defensively. Solid outlet passes and skating with the puck. I think he is OHL ready for bottom-pairing duty next year.

Girard Keane: He was a little shaky in the first half of the exhibition game, but settled down for the second half. Showed some real offensive prowess with strong skating. I think in the numbers game for 16-year-olds, he may be an odd man out however.

Avery Winslow: Out of the 3 02-defensemen out there today, I think he was the best (all 3 were very good though). Very good skater with great instincts. Made a number of outstanding plays in both ends of the ice.

Forwards:
Sahil Panwar: He was the second most dynamic player on the ice today. His puck handling is elite, his skating is elite, and everything else is very good. He was also always back deep as the centre in the defensive end to support his defensemen. I think this is another player who has elite potential for the OHL level.

Emmet Pierce: He still needs to add to his frame and become comfortable with his height and reach. There is obvious talent, but his awkwardness is still evident.

Brendan Mairs: I don't have much to say besides he had a few strong shifts out there.

Vincent Labelle: He is a very quick player and struck me as a hard worker. I came away quite impressed with him today.

Chase Strychaluk: Played with Labelle and impressed just as much as him. Created offensively and was responsible as a winger defensively.

Max Klanow: He was the surprise star of the day. Fast, skilled, and extremely hard working. The guy was an energizer bunny out there and created the second most scoring chances aside from Stranges out there (who was his teammate last year). If I were the Knights, I'd take a long look at signing him.

Dane Dowiak: He was a little quiet the first half, but was very noticeable in the second half. Created a ton of offense lined up with Panwar. Add him to the list of players who showed up today and flashed high-end tools across the board.

 

[TheCoach]

Welcome to Stranges Evangelista Panwar &Keane

 

[Starry Knight]

Welcome to Stranges Evangelista Panwar &McGrurn

*Keane

 

[TheCoach]

*Keane

Yah wrong 3rd rounder lol the audio sucks lol

 

[LDN]

Yah wrong 3rd rounder lol the audio sucks lol

Where is the stream?

 

[Starry Knight]

Where is the stream?

On instagram

 

[Rubbers29]

Looks like they added a few more chairs, Congrats to the new Knights

 

[nelli27]

I couldn't make it today, but will be there tomorrow.
Thanks Starry Knight and the others for your report(s).

 

[GangGreen]

I agree with Starry Knight regarding Winslow. Was very impressed with his skating ability. He seemed to be shadowing Stranges a fair bit and stayed right with him. Plus he’s a LH shot. Seems like there’s no room at the Inn though?
Congrats to the signees. Not much of a crowd today, but late notice and an actual spring day might have cut into that.

 

[aresknights]

OHL teams have a 50 player protected list. ( correct me if Im wrong please)
Many never see a game. I wouldn't read too much into player signings ( obviously the high end kids ( 1st 2 selections) are locks for this years squad. Outside of that let the battles begin.

Thanks for those who were there n posted some insights.

 

[LDN]

OHL teams have a 50 player protected list. ( correct me if Im wrong please)
Many never see a game. I wouldn't read too much into player signings ( obviously the high end kids ( 1st 2 selections) are locks for this years squad. Outside of that let the battles begin.

Thanks for those who were there n posted some insights.

I'd say Stranges is a lock, Evangelista could get 40-50 games, Panwar also 35-50 games and Keane 30-50 games

 

[Rubbers29]

Players that stood out to me
Team Gold
Gerard Keane: one of the more noticeable D men on the ice, good outlet pass, joined the rush a few times and scored a nice goal, decent speed, good laterals on the BlueLine needs to work on his shot

Emmet Pierce: a few good shifts but very lanky still, needs to work on some cheeseburgers to move up to the OHL level

Ryan Taylor: couldn’t find anything on this guy online (only Ryan Taylor that comes up is a 2012 Knights draft pick) but did score a nice goal on a laser of a snap shot.

Vincent Labelle: Fast! Really turned it on a few times, but invisible most of the scrimmages

Max Klanow: May be a great FA pickup if that’s in the cards, played a good offensive game. Quick on the puck and caused a few odd man rushes in the offensive zone. However not much of a 2 way game

Dane Dowiak: solid day on the ice, over shadowed by a few of the other players on the ice, See’s the ice well and can find the holes in the d on the fly. Made a few very nice plays winning puck battles that lead to scoring chances.

Owen Willis: Made some great saves. Great positioning and made a beautiful cross crease glove save. Best goalie on the ice today

Liam Whittaker is progressing nicely and Panwar was as noted in previous post

 

[PhlyerPhanatic31]

McCabe was the best of the 4 goalies today . He's gotta play the blocker a bit higher though because the double coverage of having it so low was driving me nuts. Solid and square though

Stranges literally had me laughing at how easy he made plays look. Worth the drive into the Bud just to see him.

Really liked Max Klanow, stood out as a kid who really wants to grab a spot at camp. Adam Panacci looked solid as well, good compete level but he should stand out among kids 3 years younger

Pierce needs to really work on his skating, not much there really, no strength in his stride.

A lot of talent vying for few spots ,but I think the 4 they signed will be our 16yr olds this season, unless Winslow signs.