*OFFICIAL* London Knights 2014 Off-Season Thread (Part 2)

[aresknights]

No biggie with Graham. Most would rather Gugs n Parsons start the year. No OA spot used. ( ditto for Patterson) gotta figure that was always the plan. Patterson didn't put the work in thru the summer so I'd guess Mark knew it would be Gugs n Parsons ( Parsons had knights gear a while back)
If Gugs doesn't cut it go with two kids ( actually my hope)

As for Milne, why bother? Give the PT to a kid. He really didn't do much in Windsor aft a good start, and, well, um, I'd rather not dress a Spits castoff

 

[aresknights]

With all these young D we'll need solid instruction from the staff. Lets hope they now have in house, that ability. Some real good ones if brought along right.
Gleason just needs to learn the game and but in at this level. He'll be fine if he does.

 

[KnightWatch]

No worries there....they'll be learning from the well-versed defensive coach, Dylan Hunter!

 

[aresknights]

If he (and Dale and Steadman.... ) can do the job, great.
Well see

 

[DrJenniferHanson]

No biggie with Graham. Most would rather Gugs n Parsons start the year. No OA spot used. ( ditto for Patterson) gotta figure that was always the plan. Patterson didn't put the work in thru the summer so I'd guess Mark knew it would be Gugs n Parsons ( Parsons had knights gear a while back)
If Gugs doesn't cut it go with two kids ( actually my hope)

As for Milne, why bother? Give the PT to a kid. He really didn't do much in Windsor aft a good start, and, well, um, I'd rather not dress a Spits castoff

I just think Milne is quite a bit better than all the forwards beneath MacDonald, though. He'd be a 2-year player, and fill one of next season's 3 O/A slots. He scored 30 points last season, so he should attain 30-40 this year barring regression. I'd love to be proven wrong, but I don't see any of [pick your 4th liner] matching that or playing at the same level as a Yakimowicz or MacDonald.

KnightWatch, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with how Dylan/Steadman work the D this year. Anything's an upgrade over a Jeff Paul-coached blue line that can't stop Gene from getting a cookie.

 

[PhlyerPhanatic31]

Best news all weekend about Graham...maybe he was like me and after viewing Parsons once he knew nobody else had a chance. Now if he could only get Soper to do the same thing and pack it in. I'm sorry...but if he couldn't crack Kitchener's lineup last season..there's no way he should grab a spot on London's this year. Jr B at best.

Mitch Brooks is my style of grit and sand paper player...too bad he's 19. If I'm tossing a card at a 19 yr old free agent...Soper and Brooks are not on my list.

Nother looks good...Garrow looks bad...sorry Cam.

If heart was measured in inches John Warren would be 6 foot 9. Sorry Johnny...too small.

Klima's work well together...follow each other every where, practically share a brain..where have we heard that before?

McCarron looks like more of a plug this year than last after one skate I've witnessed. Least Montreal could do was not give him Danny Briere's pants. You'd think an NHL team could fit a 6 foot 4 player. Losing faceoffs to Junior C talent at best...take a seat Mike.

Parsons is my starter on opening night. Not one goalie I saw today came close to ousting him.

Really not a lot of talent on the ice today...I was kinda disappointed.

Use those cards wisely Hunter's...I saw at least 25 kids today who shouldn't even have been on the ice.

 

[aresknights]

Just rather give the 2yrs PT he'd get to a kid ( or rotation of a couple kids) Hes not a difference maker OA IMO.
Why burn a card/ take rookie min away for a guy who outside his first 5-10 games in Spitsville was oft called out for not doing much on a team he was given minutes with ( and probly a combo of 2/3 line minutes outta necessity)

Go young , live with a year of growing pains, see what we got and let the Renaissance Era begin

He may be a serviceable guy in the O but not enough upside for my liking.

 

[mikecrystel*]

Best news all weekend about Graham...maybe he was like me and after viewing Parsons once he knew nobody else had a chance. Now if he could only get Soper to do the same thing and pack it in. I'm sorry...but if he couldn't crack Kitchener's lineup last season..there's no way he should grab a spot on London's this year. Jr B at best.

Mitch Brooks is my style of grit and sand paper player...too bad he's 19. If I'm tossing a card at a 19 yr old free agent...Soper and Brooks are not on my list.

Nother looks good...Garrow looks bad...sorry Cam.

If heart was measured in inches John Warren would be 6 foot 9. Sorry Johnny...too small.

Klima's work well together...follow each other every where, practically share a brain..where have we heard that before?

McCarron looks like more of a plug this year than last after one skate I've witnessed. Least Montreal could do was not give him Danny Briere's pants. You'd think an NHL team could fit a 6 foot 4 player. Losing faceoffs to Junior C talent at best...take a seat Mike.

Parsons is my starter on opening night. Not one goalie I saw today came close to ousting him.

Really not a lot of talent on the ice today...I was kinda disappointed.

Use those cards wisely Hunter's...I saw at least 25 kids today who shouldn't even have been on the ice.

With your vast knowledge not sure why mark hunter doesn't have you as his assistant.

 

[aresknights]

"Parsons is my starter on opening night. Not one goalie I saw today came close to ousting him"

I hope so PP.

I'd love to see him and another rookie G force Gugs out by Jan
Run with the youngins, take ur lumps and lets see which rookies step up and show they'll be the type of players u need to make another run.

 

[DrJenniferHanson]

With your vast knowledge not sure why mark hunter doesn't have you as his assistant.

Hi, Parent!

 

[Otto]

That's news to me. Where did you receive this information? Patterson, now Graham??? Graham hasn't even been in town one week.

Not surprising. As I said, I wouldn't be surprised to see both him and Giugovaz gone by the trade deadline - if not sooner

 

[Passchendaele]

Is there any chance Matt Tkachuk joins the Knights next year?

It seems like London always find a way to convince big time prospects to forego college.

 

[PhlyerPhanatic31]

Just rather give the 2yrs PT he'd get to a kid ( or rotation of a couple kids) Hes not a difference maker OA IMO.
Why burn a card/ take rookie min away for a guy who outside his first 5-10 games in Spitsville was oft called out for not doing much on a team he was given minutes with ( and probly a combo of 2/3 line minutes outta necessity)

Go young , live with a year of growing pains, see what we got and let the Renaissance Era begin

He may be a serviceable guy in the O but not enough upside for my liking.

I wouldn't throw a card at any of Milne,Soper or Brooks. When the 2nd best tender you've got in camp is a 19yr old taking his 4th kick at the can...talent is thin.

McCarron struggled today against Junior B and Junior C(at best) talent...not good moving forward.

None of the returning players looked good today aside from Jamieson and Dvorak. I'd be disappointed if I was on that bench. Brooks has the most heart of any players I've seen in quite some time. If anyone gets a sniff..it should be him...but I see Soper there before him because of the logistics involved..and to me that's wrong.

 

[PhlyerPhanatic31]

With your vast knowledge not sure why mark hunter doesn't have you as his assistant.

Don't like my opinion of players?...get in line.

 

[DrJenniferHanson]

Is there any chance Matt Tkachuk joins the Knights next year?

It seems like London always find a way to convince big time prospects to forego college.

Probably 30-45% chance. Matt is committed to Notre Dame, and his brother Brady probably will follow. To counter, I propose the Knights should select Brady Tkachuk in April's OHL draft to nullify that advantage. London does have connections with the Tkachuk family in their favour, such as Basil McRae, and Rob Ramage's recommendation.

 

[DrJenniferHanson]

Phlyer, don't you think Milne's pedigree is miles ahead of Soper's or Brooks's though? We're talking about a player who's already produced a 17-goal, 30-point season and immediately becomes our #1 OA candidate next year for 3 available spots. Not only do I think Milne's a far cry ahead of Soper/Brooks, but I seriously doubt any of Seguin/Elie/Klimas/Grzelewski/etc post 30+ points this season. I'd like someone on a similar pedestal to complement Yakimowicz and MacDonald. Probably a moot point as someone else likely snags him anyway.

 

[PhlyerPhanatic31]

Phlyer, don't you think Milne's pedigree is miles ahead of Soper's or Brooks's though? We're talking about a player who's already produced a 17-goal, 30-point season and immediately becomes our #1 OA candidate next year for 3 available spots. Not only do I think Milne's a far cry ahead of Soper/Brooks, but I seriously doubt any of Seguin/Elie/Klimas/Grzelewski/etc post 30+ points this season. I'd like someone on a similar pedestal to complement Yakimowicz and MacDonald. Probably a moot point as someone else likely snags him anyway.

I do think his pedigree is higher...but really..why throw a card at a kid who can't crack another team's roster? Let a youngster eat that spot that you've pegged into your future plans. Go with the growing pains and not the stop gap. Hunter stop gap hockey drives me nuts.

 

[nelli27]

I noticed that the defence was rushing the puck quite a bit this weekend--not sure if that's merely typical of mini camps/scrimmages or perhaps it's Dylan's early footprint on the D. Either way, it was good to see.
In previous years, if anyone got their hands on the "London Knights playbook for d-men", they'd note that it consists of less than one page of instruction:
RULE ONE: 'off the glass and out'; RULE TWO: 'never rush the puck'; RULE THREE: 'avoid point shots at all cost unless it's your very last option, instead play the puck along the boards to set up the cycle'. [Disregard these rules if your name is Danny Syvret, Dennis Wideman, or John Carlson].

I'd like to see more offence generated from our D, and not have them afraid to rush the puck. Their number one priority should be in their own end, but give them the confidence to skate with the puck. Maybe the changing of the coaching guard on D will make a difference.

 

[PhlyerPhanatic31]

I noticed that the defence was rushing the puck quite a bit this weekend--not sure if that's merely typical of mini camps/scrimmages or perhaps it's Dylan's early footprint on the D. Either way, it was good to see.
In previous years, if anyone got their hands on the "London Knights playbook for d-men", they'd note that it consists of less than one page of instruction:
RULE ONE: 'off the glass and out'; RULE TWO: 'never rush the puck'; RULE THREE: 'avoid point shots at all cost unless it's your very last option, instead play the puck along the boards to set up the cycle'. [Disregard these rules if your name is Danny Syvret, Dennis Wideman, or John Carlson].

I'd like to see more offence generated from our D, and not have them afraid to rush the puck. Their number one priority should be in their own end, but give them the confidence to skate with the puck. Maybe the changing of the coaching guard on D will make a difference.

I don't mind if a D man rushes the puck, if he's got the presence of mind to get back and be the 1st man back(ala Gleason today). When you get caught or rely on your D partner to bail you out(ala Garrow at times today) you're not going far in this league. It's OK to step up, but know your boundaries and know not to pinch too far too often. Jamieson to me was the best d-man on the ice today...Nother was 2nd...Bergman 3rd. I liked how Bergman stood Brooks up for getting in his grill. Good on him for not letting Brooks talk him into a scrap..he didn't need to...he answered the bell by tuning Brooks in with the hit. A few D-men seem to have plateaued at an early age, possibly reaching their ceiling already. I liked Defarias as well, but the 3 I mentioned stood out the most.

 

[DrJenniferHanson]

"Parsons is my starter on opening night. Not one goalie I saw today came close to ousting him"

I hope so PP.

I'd love to see him and another rookie G force Gugs out by Jan
Run with the youngins, take ur lumps and lets see which rookies step up and show they'll be the type of players u need to make another run.

I also hope for this, but don't expect it. The USHL rosters released for publication this summer had Latorella's Honeybaked counterpart at BUG and Latorella as an 'Affiliate', so I hoped that would open the door for London. However, Latorella now appears to have made that team, so either something changed or the list was outdated. Even if Latorella doesn't report, a longterm Parsons/Vella tandem excites me.


While I vouch for Rymsha to assume the 4C role, I accept the inevitability that Rymsha and Henderson will be assigned to JrB for prime playing time. I'd be surprised if the Hunters take Brooks or Kudla, so I'm excluding them for the time being.

These categories, green and blue, are based on either talent or logic. There are some Blues I'd rank over Greens, but for practical purposes I'm only ranking intra-categories to demonstrate who's in and who's fighting for a spot. If Domi or Horvat return, bump everyone down a spot.

'Locks'/'Should Be Ins' = returnees + FA signings + Bergman/Gleason/Nother.
'On The Bubble = non-returnees + non-FA signings - Bergman/Gleason/Nother.

FORWARDS
1 Marner
2 MRupert
3 RRupert/Welychka
4 Dvorak
5 McCarron
6 Yakimowicz
7 MacDonald
8 Seguin
9 Klima
10 Klima
11 Valentini
12 Miromanov
_____________________
13 Elie
14 Grzelewski
_____________________
15 Soper

DEFENCEMEN
1 Mermis
2 Bergman
3 Jamieson
4 Gleason
5 Crawley
6 Nother
__________________
7 Martenet
_________________
8 DeFarias
9 Kreis


However, DeFarias and Kreis are clearly OHL calibre -- they just don't have the logistics on their side for leverage. I think DeFarias is a keeper for the Knights (and better than a couple of Greens) and will replace one Green if a Green is traded. Kreis is completely capable of a 6D role, but is a casualty of numbers.

Mermis, Bergman, Gleason, Crawley, Nother and Martenet all either can't or won't be traded. That leaves 3 Defencemen and probably only one survivor, which will be Jamieson or DeFarias. I like both but personally prefer DeFarias's longer shelf life. Both have top-4 upside, so that's a wash to me.

 

[Duke Guy]

The Knights started their camp Friday with 92 players and as of this morning only 40 remain. I would think that number is even smaller now but maybe they'll go with 2 teams through the pre-season.

 

[DrJenniferHanson]

The Knights started their camp Friday with 92 players and as of this morning only 40 remain. I would think that number is even smaller now but maybe they'll go with 2 teams through the pre-season.

My best stab at who remains for exhibitions, excluding kids at NHL camps:

1 Marner
2 MacDonald
3 Seguin
4 Rymsha
5 Klima
6 Klima
7 Valentini
8 Miromanov
9 Elie
10 Grzelewski
11 Henderson
12 Soper
13 Brooks
14 Kudla

1 Jamieson
2 Gleason
3 DeFarias
4 Crawley
5 Nother
6 Kreis
7 Martenet

ETA: Roster on Knights' website lists Brooks/Warren/Jordan Anderson, but not Henderson/Kudla.

Of course, there will be a few NHL camp invitees sprinkled in each game, but I'm not looking up the dates for each camp.

 

[Rubbers29]

Of course, there will be a few NHL camp invitees sprinkled in each game, but I'm not looking up the dates for each camp.

Was talking to Tim Horvat at the morning scrimmage yesterday,he said Bo left today, Josh is leaving on the 9th, both Rupert's report to T.o. This week before coming back here for camp and Max leaves around the 15th

 

[gloves]

I'm new on here. I have a question. What's the story on Chris Tierney? Is he not returning? I know he's not a over ager. Why is he not listed as a ruturnee or on the roster?

 

[gloves]

Oh and also where's Josh Anderson? Not returning?