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London Knights 2024-25 Season Thread, Part II

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dino200022 said:
Remember how everyone said Haltunnen was trash to start the season last year....

Nurmi has impressed me. He has consistently been one of the best all around players night in and out he has just not been given a chance to play with the big boys.

He is solid on the wall, quick on the forecheck, very good vision, solid speed, strong in his own zone. Not too sure what else the guy can do, he might not be putting up major points as of yet but he is just under a PPG playing on the third line with zero PP or PK time.
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I just think Barkey, Nurmi and O’Reilly need to break out offensively. I also think Cowan has yet to truly go off!
 
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dino200022 said:
Remember how everyone said Haltunnen was trash to start the season last year....

Nurmi has impressed me. He has consistently been one of the best all around players night in and out he has just not been given a chance to play with the big boys.

He is solid on the wall, quick on the forecheck, very good vision, solid speed, strong in his own zone. Not too sure what else the guy can do, he might not be putting up major points as of yet but he is just under a PPG playing on the third line with zero PP or PK time.
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I never said Haltunnen was trash at the beginning of the year last year. Although he was not setting the league on fire you could tell he was a star. As for Nurmi, I do not see a star yet like Haltunnen. But like I said....there's still alot of hockey to be played. I just stated as he sits now I do not believe he's AHL ready as others said he is.
 
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Ken Yates said:
Seth Griffith needs 1 more point to move into top 30 alltime leading scorers in AHL.
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Kinda like Crash Davis in Bull Durham leading the all time home run list in the minors. Although quite the accomplishment not something you really want to talk about until you’re retired at home with the grandkids.
 
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Fastpace said:
Got to be careful with their fancy plays, like blind passes and passing through legs & etc.,
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Weird but sometimes when you have so much high end talent on the same line (PP for example) the need to look good doing it overpowers the need to just put the puck in the net. Prime example being the Leafs PP ……
 
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dino200022 said:
Remember how everyone said Haltunnen was trash to start the season last year....

Nurmi has impressed me. He has consistently been one of the best all around players night in and out he has just not been given a chance to play with the big boys.

He is solid on the wall, quick on the forecheck, very good vision, solid speed, strong in his own zone. Not too sure what else the guy can do, he might not be putting up major points as of yet but he is just under a PPG playing on the third line with zero PP or PK time.
Click to expand...

I've liked him from first game also n posted.
Isn't timid and the skill set seems to be there. Should be a good mid 6 contributer to the squad.

Buttsy said:
Kinda like Crash Davis in Bull Durham leading the all time home run list in the minors. Although quite the accomplishment not something you really want to talk about until you’re retired at home with the grandkids.
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Costner n baseball movies.....classics.
 
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Buttsy said:
Weird but sometimes when you have so much high end talent on the same line (PP for example) the need to look good doing it overpowers the need to just put the puck in the net. Prime example being the Leafs PP ……
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That is right, it happens with overconfidence, getting back to basic does not necessary mean to stop your confidence passing altogether. It means be more conscious of the surrounding or aware of it, making sure of the plays, which tend to be overlooked at times with much confidence
 
dino200022 said:
Remember how everyone said Haltunnen was trash to start the season last year....

Nurmi has impressed me. He has consistently been one of the best all around players night in and out he has just not been given a chance to play with the big boys.

He is solid on the wall, quick on the forecheck, very good vision, solid speed, strong in his own zone. Not too sure what else the guy can do, he might not be putting up major points as of yet but he is just under a PPG playing on the third line with zero PP or PK time.
Click to expand...
Just curious, who said Halttunen was trash at the beginning of last year. When you score 3 goals in your first ever OHL games they better not think he’s trash lol!
 
crowncarrier said:
I never said Haltunnen was trash at the beginning of the year last year. Although he was not setting the league on fire you could tell he was a star. As for Nurmi, I do not see a star yet like Haltunnen. But like I said....there's still alot of hockey to be played. I just stated as he sits now I do not believe he's AHL ready as others said he is.
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What makes him not AHL ready though at this point? Sure he is not setting the world on fire offensively but there is so much more to hockey than that. He is a solid 200ft guy that is tough as nails on the wall and in the corners. Not too sure what you are not seeing...heck even Sawyer Boulton has 3 AHL games this year.
tjziel said:
Just curious, who said Halttunen was trash at the beginning of last year. When you score 3 goals in your first ever OHL games they better not think he’s trash lol!
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Most of the board after the first 10 games were so down on him because of his skating ability. He went 5 games after with zero points and the whole board was saying the same things they are saying about Nurmi. I actually think Nurmi is a better player than Halts is at this point.
 
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dino200022 said:
What makes him not AHL ready though at this point? Sure he is not setting the world on fire offensively but there is so much more to hockey than that. He is a solid 200ft guy that is tough as nails on the wall and in the corners. Not too sure what you are not seeing...heck even Sawyer Boulton has 3 AHL games this year.

Most of the board after the first 10 games were so down on him because of his skating ability. He went 5 games after with zero points and the whole board was saying the same things they are saying about Nurmi. I actually think Nurmi is a better player than Halts is at this point.
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Agreed.
Some expect 80 pt players from the hop and super stats wether a rookie of Euro pick.
Posted in Jan. I thought Halts was moving on. Coulda been wrong but you could see elite skills at certain aspects of the game and he just kept getting more comfortable and effective. It's about progression. ( I doubt he is returned and if so I'll stand by he earned the chance to start at a higher level )
Some think players are never ready to move up. Not saying the majority but heard it here with Marner, Nash and 20 others. Every situation is unique and I root for kids to move up as soon as their pro club wants. Works sometimes but not others. And that goes both ways.
This idea that that kids can't develop in the A or the show is crazy. They have more resources ( the majority of the time) than London can offer. Yes London is in the top percentile of chl clubs in terms of quality resources but the step to the A is another level.
 
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rve24 said:
Agreed.
Some expect 80 pt players from the hop and super stats wether a rookie of Euro pick.
Posted in Jan. I thought Halts was moving on. Coulda been wrong but you could see elite skills at certain aspects of the game and he just kept getting more comfortable and effective. It's about progression. ( I doubt he is returned and if so I'll stand by he earned the chance to start at a higher level )
Some think players are never ready to move up. Not saying the majority but heard it here with Marner, Nash and 20 others. Every situation is unique and I root for kids to move up as soon as their pro club wants. Works sometimes but not others. And that goes both ways.
This idea that that kids can't develop in the A or the show is crazy. They have more resources ( the majority of the time) than London can offer. Yes London is in the top percentile of chl clubs in terms of quality resources but the step to the A is another level.
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Excellent post. I think dino is correct in that Nurmi has more of a two-way game compared to when Halts first arrived. At the same time, I believe Halts should be in the AHL developing this year as opposed to playing in the CHL. I still wonder if Schremp would have been better off playing AHL earlier than age 20.

But the larger point of your post - I could not agree more. The CHL is a small developmental step to what is hopefully a pro hockey career and/or a strong education or other professional career. When people get mad (not saying anyone has on this board) that a player moves up or onto another endeavour, it’s very disappointing. I still remember the ridiculous abuse Jake Patterson took years ago for ending his hockey career to pursue something else. These are young men working on growing as athletes and adults. Because it may impact your local team’s w/l column is beyond the point.

On a semi related note, there’s been talk that Luchanko is on London’s radar. While that would be fun for the fans, like myself, I’d be equally happy to see London stick with the players they have and continue to watch them grow. Last night was so enjoyable because you really started to see the free agents (Aboflan, Boulton) and draft picks (Arrowsmith, Read) make contributions that help their cause/confidence and their team. Maybe it’s me, but that’s what I love the most about the CHL.
 
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Weird to bring up Nurmi when he hasn't played in a week (since Oct 25 vs Brantford)

He's been okay. Good defensive mind. You kind of want more out of an import. Room to grow with his offensive contributions but I'm not convinced that will be his calling with this team.
 
This 3 in 3 game weekend against Windsor and Kitchener right after London players leave for WJC will tell a lot about what this young London lineup will be all about comes springtime. These are the games that excite me and make me look forward to watching, I am already planning for this weekend too. They don't have to win, they just have to compete and follow their team system roles, that'll be enough to see what will be this team made of, comes the after season dance

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD]295[/TD]
[TD]Fri, Dec 13[/TD]
[TD]
Windsor
Windsor[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]
London
London[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]7:00 pm[/TD]
[TD]Tickets[/TD]
[TD]Budweiser Gardens[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]305[/TD]
[TD]Sat, Dec 14[/TD]
[TD]
London
London[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]
Windsor
Windsor[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]7:05 pm[/TD]
[TD]Tickets[/TD]
[TD]WFCU Centre[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]307[/TD]
[TD]Sun, Dec 15[/TD]
[TD]
Kitchener
Kitchener[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]
London
London[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]4:00 pm[/TD]
[TD]Tickets[/TD]
[TD]Budweiser Gardens[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
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Fastpace said:
This 3 in 3 game weekend against Windsor and Kitchener right after London players leave for WJC will tell a lot about what this young London lineup will be all about comes springtime. These are the games that excite me and make me look forward to watching, I am already planning for this weekend too. They don't have to win, they just have to compete and follow their team system roles, that'll be enough to see what will be this team made of, comes the after season dance

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD]295[/TD]
[TD]Fri, Dec 13[/TD]
[TD]
Windsor
Windsor[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]
London
London[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]7:00 pm[/TD]
[TD]Tickets[/TD]
[TD]Budweiser Gardens[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]305[/TD]
[TD]Sat, Dec 14[/TD]
[TD]
London
London[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]
Windsor
Windsor[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]7:05 pm[/TD]
[TD]Tickets[/TD]
[TD]WFCU Centre[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]307[/TD]
[TD]Sun, Dec 15[/TD]
[TD]
Kitchener
Kitchener[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]
London
London[/TD]
[TD][/TD]

[TD]4:00 pm[/TD]
[TD]Tickets[/TD]
[TD]Budweiser Gardens[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Click to expand...
I looked at that stretch as well but I think by the end of the month the Rangers and Spits will come back down to earth.

There is no doubt they are playing lights out but they are younger teams without the depth of talent, the pace is unsustainable.
 
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GoKnightsGo44 said:
I looked at that stretch as well but I think by the end of the month the Rangers and Spits will come back down to earth.

There is no doubt they are playing lights out but they are younger teams without the depth of talent, the pace is unsustainable.
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I also do think Saginaw will be back down to earth and do see them trading some players by the time trade deadline arrives, but not the Rangers, Kitchener is legit. They have a well-built team with upper end talents, young yes but very talented, mixed with older players to help them on their game, strong in net, if any weakness it is on defense, I am guessing they will finish fourth or above with a good possibility for second. Kitchener is progressing as the year progresses, but they will still have to overcome a slump. They are a formidable team and will be difficult to take down in the playoffs. In my humble opinion, of course. Cheers!
 
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Ringing Iron said:
Weird to bring up Nurmi when he hasn't played in a week (since Oct 25 vs Brantford)

He's been okay. Good defensive mind. You kind of want more out of an import. Room to grow with his offensive contributions but I'm not convinced that will be his calling with this team.
Click to expand...
He has been quite sick the past week and a bit reason why he has not played.

And once again I am not too sure what we expected from him, clearly people did not do their research on him before he came. He has never been an offensive dynamo at any level. He is a hustle type guy that is heavy on the forecheck and strong on the walls. Also very good defensively. He is more of your typical Finnish type of forward than Haltunnen is.

Let's not try and make playera out to be far more than they are. Once given the opportunity in the lineup he will flourish, come playoff time he will be seeing a bunch of icetime.
 
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Nurmi is great player, not a huge offensive upside but strong on the puck with great speed.

He is a world junior player that spent time playing against men. Once he adjusts to the OHL he will be a steady contributor. He is not dislodging our top line though by any means and that is just fine.
 
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