London Knights 2020 Offseason Thread (Part 2)
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As much as I love and appreciate what Mark Hunter's done for junior hockey in this area, I don't think he or Dale are suited for the NHL. I look at the Knights like college football team. People here look at the Hunters like they're Jesus, teams good each and every year, but whenever they've tried to dip their toes in the big leagues, it doesn't go as well as it does here IMHO.
Running an OHL team and running an NHL team are 2 different beasts. You can't get lucky and have the best player in the draft fall into your hands in the 6th round in the NHL because he has a short list of teams he'll report to.
Purple Phart
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While the draft position in the NHL is important, it's not the be all or the end all when constructing a winning team. Nobody proved that more than the Las Vegas Golden Knights in their inagural season. Mark has an eye for talent, and the ability to recognize what holes need filling on a team. Where his weakness might be, would his money management ( cap space floor & ceiling ) and he'd need an assistant whose strength is in that specific area. He'd also need a coach that would be compatable with his management style, and that's not all that easy to hire.
What he does have that might make him successful, is that his Junior experience has given him a really good exposure to upcoming talent in the specific areas he needs help in. The Knights have graduated to the NHL, some individuals who are strong in alalytics, business management, and strenght & conditioning. If the Pens are looking to someone who can be forward-looking and is capable of building and executing a 3 to 5 year plan, then possibly Mark Hunter could be a serious candidate. The one condition might be his willingness to delegate responsibility in specific areas ( scouting would be one that he might have some reluctance toward, given that it's the one area that he's been strongest in).
What he does have that might make him successful, is that his Junior experience has given him a really good exposure to upcoming talent in the specific areas he needs help in. The Knights have graduated to the NHL, some individuals who are strong in alalytics, business management, and strenght & conditioning. If the Pens are looking to someone who can be forward-looking and is capable of building and executing a 3 to 5 year plan, then possibly Mark Hunter could be a serious candidate. The one condition might be his willingness to delegate responsibility in specific areas ( scouting would be one that he might have some reluctance toward, given that it's the one area that he's been strongest in).
PhlyerPhanatic31
Love is Love
I'm really not sure. He put up 57 points in 60 games in his NHL draft year, which is typically more than enough to get you drafted, especially when you play for the London Knights. Whatever it is, NHL scouts clearly picked up on it quick and they were right. Production has gone significantly down since going undrafted.
To be fair about his time in Sweden though, it is much different over there. Jean-Luc Foudy is a 3rd round pick in the NHL and was struggling over there while Ethan Cardwell who went undrafted is a top 5 scorer on his team after just 9 games played. European hockey is not usually telling of how good you are/will be in North America.
nelli27
Moderator
Where did you find the frames? I've only seen them at Michaels.Also framed my 06-07 team autographed jersey
Otto
Lynch Syndrome. Know your families cancer history
I don't think he was even interviewed.
Jobs been offered to Hextall.
Edit: Hextall is the new GM.. Brian Burke is the new President of Hockey Operations
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Given Mark Hunter not being chosen as GM of the Penguins and Mitch Marner's big start to the season, here's a conspiracy theory to have some fun with:
In 2014-15 Mitch Marner placed 2nd in OHL scoring with 126 points, and was drafted by the Leafs 4th overall in the 2015 draft. Toronto had the worst record in the NHL in 2015-16 and could've benefitted from Marner's presence and Marner's development could've benefitted from playing at the NHL level and being one of the best players on the Leafs that year. Marner didn't improve his point totals in the OHL in 2015-16. He was part of a stacked London Knights team that won the 2016 Memorial Cup though. Mark Hunter, co-owner of the London Knights, was the assistant GM of the Leafs during this whole time.
So my question is: would Mitch Marner have played for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015-16 if Mark Hunter did not work for the Leafs? I don't think an owner of a junior team should also be allowed to work for an NHL team.
My bias: I'm a Kitchener Rangers fan and was in attendance at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium for Game 4 of Round 2 of the 2016 playoffs in which the Rangers held a 4-1 lead during the 2nd period and Mitch Marner scored 4 goals including a natural hat-trick in the 3rd period to lead the Knights to a 6-4 win and complete the sweep of the Rangers and break the hearts of residents of Kitchener-Waterloo once again. I'm also a Vancouver Canucks fan so not in a good mood after the last few days lol.
Have fun discussing
Given Mark Hunter not being chosen as GM of the Penguins and Mitch Marner's big start to the season, here's a conspiracy theory to have some fun with:
In 2014-15 Mitch Marner placed 2nd in OHL scoring with 126 points, and was drafted by the Leafs 4th overall in the 2015 draft. Toronto had the worst record in the NHL in 2015-16 and could've benefitted from Marner's presence and Marner's development could've benefitted from playing at the NHL level and being one of the best players on the Leafs that year. Marner didn't improve his point totals in the OHL in 2015-16. He was part of a stacked London Knights team that won the 2016 Memorial Cup though. Mark Hunter, co-owner of the London Knights, was the assistant GM of the Leafs during this whole time.
So my question is: would Mitch Marner have played for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015-16 if Mark Hunter did not work for the Leafs? I don't think an owner of a junior team should also be allowed to work for an NHL team.
My bias: I'm a Kitchener Rangers fan and was in attendance at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium for Game 4 of Round 2 of the 2016 playoffs in which the Rangers held a 4-1 lead during the 2nd period and Mitch Marner scored 4 goals including a natural hat-trick in the 3rd period to lead the Knights to a 6-4 win and complete the sweep of the Rangers and break the hearts of residents of Kitchener-Waterloo once again. I'm also a Vancouver Canucks fan so not in a good mood after the last few days lol.
Have fun discussing
Copy and pasted from my response in the Rangers board:
I have a few angles I look at this from. The first goes back to the draft. I think nearly any other GM in 2015 takes Hanifin at 4 all things considered. Then he falls to Carolina and who knows what happens from there.
But to play along with the hypothetical, I still think Marner goes back to the Knights in 15-16. It was never about him being good enough. Anyone who watched him in junior knew he was. Even though it’s only 5/6 years in the past, the mindset of NHL GM’s then was way different. You had to be over 6 feet tall and 180+ pounds to play in the NHL at 18 years old. Mitch was 5’10 160. Even going into his rookie year where he came in at 5’11 170, there was concern about his size and people thought he might end back up in London again. On top of it all, the Leafs a) were set up to be bad and that’s not something you want to throw an 18 year old future of the franchise into if you don’t have to and b) coached by Mike Babcock, another old school hockey mind who likely wouldn’t have played him hardly at all until they sold off at the deadline and called up Nylander, Hyman & Kapanen
Otto
Lynch Syndrome. Know your families cancer history
Given Mark Hunter not being chosen as GM of the Penguins and Mitch Marner's big start to the season, here's a conspiracy theory to have some fun with:
In 2014-15 Mitch Marner placed 2nd in OHL scoring with 126 points, and was drafted by the Leafs 4th overall in the 2015 draft. Toronto had the worst record in the NHL in 2015-16 and could've benefitted from Marner's presence and Marner's development could've benefitted from playing at the NHL level and being one of the best players on the Leafs that year. Marner didn't improve his point totals in the OHL in 2015-16. He was part of a stacked London Knights team that won the 2016 Memorial Cup though. Mark Hunter, co-owner of the London Knights, was the assistant GM of the Leafs during this whole time.
So my question is: would Mitch Marner have played for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015-16 if Mark Hunter did not work for the Leafs? I don't think an owner of a junior team should also be allowed to work for an NHL team.
My bias: I'm a Kitchener Rangers fan and was in attendance at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium for Game 4 of Round 2 of the 2016 playoffs in which the Rangers held a 4-1 lead during the 2nd period and Mitch Marner scored 4 goals including a natural hat-trick in the 3rd period to lead the Knights to a 6-4 win and complete the sweep of the Rangers and break the hearts of residents of Kitchener-Waterloo once again. I'm also a Vancouver Canucks fan so not in a good mood after the last few days lol.
Have fun discussing
Any idea what the Leafs cap situation was like in 2015? Would they end up losing someone to waivers if they decided to keep Marner up? The Leafs were 24 points out of a playoff spot, no doubt Leaf management knew they were going to suck that year, why bring the 4th overall pick into that environment if you don't have to?
To suggest that hockey people can't own hockey teams is laughable. The league needs more hockey people running teams, not putting up barriers to have them involved
Edit: Leafs had $900,000 in cap space to start the season... theres your answer fishbulb NHL Teams with the Worst Salary-Cap Issues in 2015-16
Being a lifelong Leafs fan, I can think of 4 or 5 guys without even looking at the roster that I both wouldn’t be upset if they lost on waivers and also wouldn’t be concerned because no NHL-level hockey team would claim them off waivers.
Re. owning/managing an NHL/junior team at once: I think it’s fine as long as being the asst. GM of an NHL team didn’t interfere/criss cross with running your junior team. If Mark Hunter started trading for every Leafs prospect in the OHL and turning into a farm system of sorts or something you get into some “unfair advantage” issues but I think we are all aware by this point that Mark is better than that and had both the Leafs and Knights best interests equally in mind.
PhlyerPhanatic31
Love is Love
Yep..that's where I got them. Best to wait for a sale...I got them 2 for 1
Otto
Lynch Syndrome. Know your families cancer history
You wouldn't... but as we know fans and management generally don't agree
The other thing to consider is that the Leafs (like many other teams) were probable less than eager to take the chance of losing something for nothing with an expansion draft approaching. They knew they didn't have a chance at a serious run for a few years, why not keep some of that dead weight to keep exposed for the expansion draft?
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Otto
Lynch Syndrome. Know your families cancer history
The other thing to consider is that Mike Babcock was named coach before the start of the season... you know he had influence over who stayed and who went... and we know Babcocks history with Marner
Otto
Lynch Syndrome. Know your families cancer history
LDN
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LDN
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PhlyerPhanatic31
Love is Love
when you know you'll never get your hands on either game worn..you do the next best thing...you go replica
LDN
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Otto will be smiling but what a goal from one of our greatest Knights “Sir Perry” last night. He looked like he was 10 years younger with one heck of a “dangle” and finish. Who says he hasn’t got something left in the tank. The Leafs should have grabbed this guy as he also brings that nasty physical “edge” to his game, kind of like a Messier.
Sadly for Montreal he and Jake Allen were pretty much the only Canadiens who showed up consistently?
Sadly for Montreal he and Jake Allen were pretty much the only Canadiens who showed up consistently?
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