London Knights 2024-25 Season Thread, Part II

[rve24]

There had to be a move. You can't have 5 fwd sitting every night

It'll happen. It's good for the players not getting PT come Jan and for teams future. .

Have a surplus in depth, replenish picks, rinse wash repeat. (calling Niagara lol)
Hunters have pivoted 3/4 times in philosophy (ways to manage/maximize) assets over 20 years.

 

[crowncarrier]

Gen X is the best gen.

Everytime I see someone talk about Gen X, Millennials, Baby Boomers I always have to look up what I am you'd think I'm from the silent generation.

 

[Fergus31]

It'll happen. It's good for the players not getting PT come Jan and for teams future. .

Have a surplus in depth, replenish picks, rinse wash repeat. (calling Niagara lol)
Hunters have pivoted 3/4 times in philosophy (ways to manage/maximize) assets over 20 years.

Right on rve24. Standard operating procedure. Definitely would like to see some more picks in the bank but if a solid D can be had for a forward or 2, that’s okay too!

Everytime I see someone talk about Gen X, Millennials, Baby Boomers I always have to look up what I am you'd think I'm from the silent generation.

I’m a millennial but always looked up to my gen X cousins. Thus they’re my favourite.

 

[rve24]

Everytime I see someone talk about Gen X, Millennials, Baby Boomers I always have to look up what I am you'd think I'm from the silent generation.

Me too! And I did look pre post lol.

 

[LDN]

Budnick will have a target on him next time these two teams play.

11 in a row is fantastic. Barkey-Cowan-Halttunnen has the opportunity to be one of the best top lines in O

With that being said need to get Monty and Nurmi going and need to figure out what the shut down line is… lots of time to sort it all out! Gonna be interesting when Sim is back

 

[dmead]

51 and counting.
11 in a row.
Boulton ushered off the ice with 23 seconds left.
yup.
Typical Knights game.

 

[GangGreen]

I know Budnick is public enemy number 1 today, but that he intrigues me. Big tough D, ppg, and a +10 on a 6-11 team. I guess he's an OA, but if they decide to move on from Sim, Budnick would a great add.
Glad someone stuck up for Barkey, but Cowan is not the guy I want to see doing it.

 

[davewheeler]

Just curious on the LDN page thoughts but how does this team compare to the goat 2004/05 team ? I know it's early but damn this team could challenge for 60 wins. When you're this good you gotta keep busy by making goals like that.

 

[crowncarrier]

I know Budnick is public enemy number 1 today, but that he intrigues me. Big tough D, ppg, and a +10 on a 6-11 team. I guess he's an OA, but if they decide to move on from Sim, Budnick would a great add.
Glad someone stuck up for Barkey, but Cowan is not the guy I want to see doing it.

Sim is not going anywhere.

 

[GangGreen]

That's disappointing...

 

[GoKnightsGo44]

Just curious on the LDN page thoughts but how does this team compare to the goat 2004/05 team ? I know it's early but damn this team could challenge for 60 wins. When you're this good you gotta keep busy by making goals like that.

This came up in discussion yesterday in my family of die hards. We pulled all the stats and there is no touching the records for the 05 team as they got every player back from the start of the season. If that happened to this years team we wouldn’t have lost those 4 games and our goal differential would have been better.

Looking at the players, there is actually no comparison. The 2024-25 team is substantially better than the 05 team. If you look at the playoff roster the 05 team had 13 NHL drafted players 4 of those were drafted after the season (Dennis, Syvret, Beaulieu and Reed). So really 9 drafted players.

The all stars were Perry and Schremp(1st NHL) and Bolland (2nd NHL), this team is comparable with the top line of Cowan (1st), Halttunen (2nd), Barkey (3rd). Where the 2025 team starts to pull away from the 05 team is in depth, having O’Reilly (1st), Nurmi and Montgomery (4ths) vs. Fritchie (2nd), Hunter (9th), Kell (5th).

The later forward depth this year is unmatched, Julien (5th), Nichol (7th), Sim (6th) and Van Gorp (undrafted) and as good or better than Prust (3rd), Drummond + Larman (undrafted). Then this year we still have great rookies that will be top future talent, especially Hawery and Arrowsmith, who project higher than the Foreman/Reed/A Perrys.

Defense, is not close. Dickinson/Bonk (1st) are better than Syvret (3rd)/Methot (6th). Brzustewicz is as good as Girardi, Woolley is not yet as good as Rodney (we could use another stud 4D).

Goalie tandem of Dennis and Coleman vs. Elliot and Medvedev is too early to call but from what I have seen Elliot/ Coleman are comparable and Medvedev is projecting to be a top goalie in the league.

So all this said, they are comparable but different. The 2005 team was structured to be defensive first and grind teams into taking penalties then light them up with a top offensive line. The 2025 team should collectively out score the 05 team by a safe margin by the end of the year.

The main difference is the talent left in young prospects this year is enough to roster another team. To be this good and still have a future is something magical.

 

[All the Answers]

This came up in discussion yesterday in my family of die hards. We pulled all the stats and there is no touching the records for the 05 team as they got every player back from the start of the season. If that happened to this years team we wouldn’t have lost those 4 games and our goal differential would have been better.

Looking at the players, there is actually no comparison. The 2024-25 team is substantially better than the 05 team. If you look at the playoff roster the 05 team had 13 NHL drafted players 4 of those were drafted after the season (Dennis, Syvret, Beaulieu and Reed). So really 9 drafted players.

The all stars were Perry and Schremp(1st NHL) and Bolland (2nd NHL), this team is comparable with the top line of Cowan (1st), Halttunen (2nd), Barkey (3rd). Where the 2025 team starts to pull away from the 05 team is in depth, having O’Reilly (1st), Nurmi and Montgomery (4ths) vs. Fritchie (2nd), Hunter (9th), Kell (5th).

The later forward depth this year is unmatched, Julien (5th), Nichol (7th), Sim (6th) and Van Gorp (undrafted) and as good or better than Prust (3rd), Drummond + Larman (undrafted). Then this year we still have great rookies that will be top future talent, especially Hawery and Arrowsmith, who project higher than the Foreman/Reed/A Perrys.

Defense, is not close. Dickinson/Bonk (1st) are better than Syvret (3rd)/Methot (6th). Brzustewicz is as good as Girardi, Woolley is not yet as good as Rodney (we could use another stud 4D).

Goalie tandem of Dennis and Coleman vs. Elliot and Medvedev is too early to call but from what I have seen Elliot/ Coleman are comparable and Medvedev is projecting to be a top goalie in the league.

So all this said, they are comparable but different. The 2005 team was structured to be defensive first and grind teams into taking penalties then light them up with a top offensive line. The 2025 team should collectively out score the 05 team by a safe margin by the end of the year.

The main difference is the talent left in young prospects this year is enough to roster another team. To be this good and still have a future is something magical.

Nice analysis, but as an outsider I'd say this year's goaltending is MUCH weaker than '05. Get a top 4 D man and a top 10 (from the OHL) goaltender and you likely will win your remaining games. For the record I don't think this is needed, but it would make things a sure thing barring multiple injuries.

 

[GoKnightsGo44]

Nice analysis, but as an outsider I'd say this year's goaltending is MUCH weaker than '05. Get a top 4 D man and a top 10 (from the OHL) goaltender and you likely will win your remaining games. For the record I don't think this is needed, but it would make things a sure thing barring multiple injuries.

I agree on the D, a WJC like Allan would fit the bill. I am confident in goal especially with Dave Rook in the house he would have the inside line on Elliot and will work out the small kinks in Medvedev.

 

[EvenSteven]

This came up in discussion yesterday in my family of die hards. We pulled all the stats and there is no touching the records for the 05 team as they got every player back from the start of the season. If that happened to this years team we wouldn’t have lost those 4 games and our goal differential would have been better.

Looking at the players, there is actually no comparison. The 2024-25 team is substantially better than the 05 team. If you look at the playoff roster the 05 team had 13 NHL drafted players 4 of those were drafted after the season (Dennis, Syvret, Beaulieu and Reed). So really 9 drafted players.

The all stars were Perry and Schremp(1st NHL) and Bolland (2nd NHL), this team is comparable with the top line of Cowan (1st), Halttunen (2nd), Barkey (3rd). Where the 2025 team starts to pull away from the 05 team is in depth, having O’Reilly (1st), Nurmi and Montgomery (4ths) vs. Fritchie (2nd), Hunter (9th), Kell (5th).

The later forward depth this year is unmatched, Julien (5th), Nichol (7th), Sim (6th) and Van Gorp (undrafted) and as good or better than Prust (3rd), Drummond + Larman (undrafted). Then this year we still have great rookies that will be top future talent, especially Hawery and Arrowsmith, who project higher than the Foreman/Reed/A Perrys.

Defense, is not close. Dickinson/Bonk (1st) are better than Syvret (3rd)/Methot (6th). Brzustewicz is as good as Girardi, Woolley is not yet as good as Rodney (we could use another stud 4D).

Goalie tandem of Dennis and Coleman vs. Elliot and Medvedev is too early to call but from what I have seen Elliot/ Coleman are comparable and Medvedev is projecting to be a top goalie in the league.

So all this said, they are comparable but different. The 2005 team was structured to be defensive first and grind teams into taking penalties then light them up with a top offensive line. The 2025 team should collectively out score the 05 team by a safe margin by the end of the year.

The main difference is the talent left in young prospects this year is enough to roster another team. To be this good and still have a future is something magical.

Another outsider here. The only real eye raiser in your analysis was Henry B being as good as Girardi.

Girardi was a veteran rock on the back end. Nothing against Henry, but the kid’s got a ways to go to match that.

And yes, Dennis trumps Elliot.

But it’s early. Worth revisiting at the start of the post season.

 

[Otto]

The 04/05 team went undefeated in their first 31 games. And THEN they went and got the best goalie in the league. That should tell you everything you need to know. This years team is giving up 3.05 goals/ game, the 04/05 team was 1.84 There's zero comparison.

Knights are on pace for 207 goals against this season. That would be the 12th lowest of all time and 11th in terms of average compared to:

1976/77 (203)*66 games 3.07 avg
2003/04 (147)
2004/05 (125)
2008/09 (194)
2011/12 (178)
2012/13 (180)
2013/14 (203)
2015/16 (182)
2016/17 (194)
2019/20 (187) *62 games 3.01 avg
2023/24 (197)

 

[All the Answers]

As well, 05 gave up 5 goals twice and 6 once. This year's Knights have given up 5 goals 3x, 6 once, and 7 2x. 2005 gave up 1.84 g/gm, this year is 3.05. At a cursory glimpse league scoring up a bit, but nowhere near that differential. 2005 literally went out and got the best goalie from in their own division. That team was major overkill and people forget quickly how good they were. I couldn't care less about your high picks but do about the team play. Many a great OHLer went undrafted but accomplished more than their drafted/OHL peers

 

[Otto]

On Offence, this team is averaging 4.26 goals per game vs. 4.56 for the 04/05 team

On pace for 290 goals. The 70's and 80's were dominated by teams with more than 290 goals. But in the modern era

2003/04 (300)
2004/05 (310)
2005/06 (304)
2006/07 (311)
2013/14 (316)
2015/16 (319)
2018/19 (299)
2023/24 (322)

So, no, no comparison to the 04/05 team and I would argue the 03/04, 13/14, 15/16, and 23/24 teams could be considered better than this years team.

 

[GoKnightsGo44]

Drafted players are a good litmus test. 05 had 9 including Fritchie and Dennis that were added in season. This current team has 12.

There is no comparison between the records and stats from 05. The game was played differently and the league was a lot weaker than today. The rosters of many teams (Brantford, Erie, Barrie, Oshawa) would contend with the 05 Kitcheners.

London could and should still go out and add a 19 year old top 6 forward and a top pairing D. Injuries happen and there is no thrill like overkill.

I see this team as just getting started, there is lots of room to tighten up defensively and put up bigger numbers. I think the question is at the end of this season which team would beat the other in a playoff series?

It’s too early to call but it’s shaping up to be at least plausible to think about.

 

[Otto]

Drafted players are a good litmus test. 05 had 9 including Fritchie and Dennis that were added in season. This current team has 12.

There is no comparison between the records and stats from 05. The game was played differently and the league was a lot weaker than today. The rosters of many teams (Brantford, Erie, Barrie, Oshawa) would contend with the 05 Kitcheners.

London could and should still go out and add a 19 year old top 6 forward and a top pairing D. Injuries happen and there is no thrill like overkill.

I see this team as just getting started, there is lots of room to tighten up defensively and put up bigger numbers. I think the question is at the end of this season which team would beat the other in a playoff series?

It’s too early to call but it’s shaping up to be at least plausible to think about.

You said that you expect the 2025 team to outscore 2005 by a wide margin by the end of the year. What would you define as a "wide margin", because even if it's 20 goals it would mean they would have to score 5.08/ game the remainder of the way to meet that

 

[GoKnightsGo44]

You said that you expect the 2025 team to outscore 2005 by a wide margin by the end of the year. What would you define as a "wide margin", because even if it's 20 goals it would mean they would have to score 5.08/ game the remainder of the way to meet that

I think this team should reach 335 goals, should keep scoring through juniors and crush weak teams in the second half.

 

[Otto]

There's been a noticeable lack of Kaeden Johnston updates here since September.

Ontario Hockey League

The OHL consists of 20 member teams, including 17 in the province of Ontario as well as three in the United States, with two in the state of Michigan and one in the state of Pennsylvania.

chl.ca

 

[Fergus31]

On Offence, this team is averaging 4.26 goals per game vs. 4.56 for the 04/05 team

On pace for 290 goals. The 70's and 80's were dominated by teams with more than 290 goals. But in the modern era

2003/04 (300)
2004/05 (310)
2005/06 (304)
2006/07 (311)
2013/14 (316)
2015/16 (319)
2018/19 (299)
2023/24 (322)

So, no, no comparison to the 04/05 team and I would argue the 03/04, 13/14, 15/16, and 23/24 teams could be considered better than this years team.

Man, hard to play the “what if” game but I still think about certain teams like 03/04 and 23/24. Definitely teams that were good enough to win Memorial Cups. Oh well.

 

[Otto]

I think this team should reach 335 goals, should keep scoring through juniors and crush weak teams in the second half.

So 5.18 goals a game for 49 games

 

[rve24]

This came up in discussion yesterday in my family of die hards. We pulled all the stats and there is no touching the records for the 05 team as they got every player back from the start of the season. If that happened to this years team we wouldn’t have lost those 4 games and our goal differential would have been better.

Looking at the players, there is actually no comparison. The 2024-25 team is substantially better than the 05 team. If you look at the playoff roster the 05 team had 13 NHL drafted players 4 of those were drafted after the season (Dennis, Syvret, Beaulieu and Reed). So really 9 drafted players.

The all stars were Perry and Schremp(1st NHL) and Bolland (2nd NHL), this team is comparable with the top line of Cowan (1st), Halttunen (2nd), Barkey (3rd). Where the 2025 team starts to pull away from the 05 team is in depth, having O’Reilly (1st), Nurmi and Montgomery (4ths) vs. Fritchie (2nd), Hunter (9th), Kell (5th).

The later forward depth this year is unmatched, Julien (5th), Nichol (7th), Sim (6th) and Van Gorp (undrafted) and as good or better than Prust (3rd), Drummond + Larman (undrafted). Then this year we still have great rookies that will be top future talent, especially Hawery and Arrowsmith, who project higher than the Foreman/Reed/A Perrys.

Defense, is not close. Dickinson/Bonk (1st) are better than Syvret (3rd)/Methot (6th). Brzustewicz is as good as Girardi, Woolley is not yet as good as Rodney (we could use another stud 4D).

Goalie tandem of Dennis and Coleman vs. Elliot and Medvedev is too early to call but from what I have seen Elliot/ Coleman are comparable and Medvedev is projecting to be a top goalie in the league.

So all this said, they are comparable but different. The 2005 team was structured to be defensive first and grind teams into taking penalties then light them up with a top offensive line. The 2025 team should collectively out score the 05 team by a safe margin by the end of the year.

The main difference is the talent left in young prospects this year is enough to roster another team. To be this good and still have a future is something magical.

It's always going be subjective and there isn't really a right or wrong answer (if this team can finish off the year with a W)

But I look at it differently than just NHL drafted players. Just a different perspective. Some players are great Juniors but don't project as NHLers. Eg. Dennis n Hunter( put up over 100pts, didnt have good enough feet to play in the show but damm effective at jr)
Also the team component plays in. How do they work as a collective, buy into roles ect....? Both teams do but I have 05 as a bit more committed right now.
The 05 team could play anyway you wanted ( and had to to play the likes of the Rangers ) That Knights squad was a b.i.t.c......to play against. Tough. Girardi n Methot brought a physicality this team doesn't have on the back end. Thompson, Beualieu, Foreman, Prust were tough and could play. Larman, Perry, Kell, Bolland played with grit.
They scored when needed, had 2 very skilled puck movers on the back end. Their 3rd n 4th lines were tougher to play against.
This 24/25 team would be hard pressed to make it thru a series against that toughness ( I know the game has changed but that collective just took teams will to compete away)
As mentioned they'd just grind ya.
Better defensively and in goal. Dennis is far ahead of either tender and the BUG was good enough to rotated in like a MM team often does.

 

[LDN]

If this years team does what it’s capable of it will be better than the 05 team, but the team still has not played up to it’s potential so just wait and see