Yeah I agree with getting that player that would add lots more offence (Jett or Musty) but I think next year is giving all this new talent we seem to have lots of some experience not really a rebuild just maybe a practice year for more great teams soon to come
London Knights 2024-25 Season Thread, Part III
- Thread starter SoupNazi
- Start date
The only reason I kinda want Jett Luchanko is for his speed, playmaking, faceoffs and defensive play. But giving up Hawery is a steep price. 4 years of Hawery or potentially 0.5 or 1.5 years of Luchanko?
Luchanko centering Halttunen and Nurmi would be lethal.
Imagine this: Nurmi does all the gritty stuff along the walls and skates well. Halttunen’s skating hasn’t improved much so imagine how much room Halttunen would have if Luchanko and Nurmi are streaking down the ice into the offensive zone and they push the defense back with their speed, then Halttunen is the late trailer heading to the slot and Luchanko finds him. With Halttunen’s shot and Luchanko speed and vision. Perfect combo! Julien can’t push anyone back with his speed haha.
Problem this year is Halttunen hasn’t been able to get his shot off because he hasn’t had a lot of space this year which is good for him to learn to create space and skate. Teams are zoning in on him a bit more. O’Rielly could be good between Nurmi and Halttunen but then you gotta trust Julien between Cowan and Barkey.
Barkey - O’Rielly - Cowan
Nurmi - Luchanko - Halttunen
Nichol - Julien - Montgomery
Van Gorp - Sim - Van Bommel/Boulton
Dickinson - Bonk
Woolley - Allen
Fimis - Brzustewicz
Elliott
Medvedev
Spares: Aboflan, Read, Fagan, Spencer
Luchanko centering Halttunen and Nurmi would be lethal.
Imagine this: Nurmi does all the gritty stuff along the walls and skates well. Halttunen’s skating hasn’t improved much so imagine how much room Halttunen would have if Luchanko and Nurmi are streaking down the ice into the offensive zone and they push the defense back with their speed, then Halttunen is the late trailer heading to the slot and Luchanko finds him. With Halttunen’s shot and Luchanko speed and vision. Perfect combo! Julien can’t push anyone back with his speed haha.
Problem this year is Halttunen hasn’t been able to get his shot off because he hasn’t had a lot of space this year which is good for him to learn to create space and skate. Teams are zoning in on him a bit more. O’Rielly could be good between Nurmi and Halttunen but then you gotta trust Julien between Cowan and Barkey.
Barkey - O’Rielly - Cowan
Nurmi - Luchanko - Halttunen
Nichol - Julien - Montgomery
Van Gorp - Sim - Van Bommel/Boulton
Dickinson - Bonk
Woolley - Allen
Fimis - Brzustewicz
Elliott
Medvedev
Spares: Aboflan, Read, Fagan, Spencer
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Knights2729
Registered User
I myself think that THIS is the most likely lineup scenario going forward and the fact that we got a stud like Montgomery for absolutely nothing as well as Fimis and Elliott for a very reasonable rate is the reason that Mark was able to go all in on Allen like this. Its super and our third line is as good as alot of teams second line and maybe even a couple teams first lines. Our D is as good as if not a little better then last year and our goaltending is better depth then last year and offence is about the same! In all its a team built to win the OVERALL prize!! MEMORIAL CUP OR BUST BABY!!!!!
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Aboflan for Boulton and agreed.
If there is a card left, I would be all in on Jett. For London’s sake and to keep him off Windsor, Oshawa, Barrie, etc. Good fit for London. He does it all except take dumb penalties, lol. Bona fide #1 center and moves Julien and O’Reilly down for more favourable matchups as you’ve posted.
Hypothetically, I imagine it starts with Hawery if he waives his NTC. Something like Hawery, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4? Add conditionals if returned for next season. Using the Beck deal as a comparable…but London only has one 2nd left, so I added a 3rd and 4th. I dunno. Just win the darn last game.
On top of this, you have to think other GM’s are scrambling to get something done. Puts some pressure on them. London is defending OHL champions, are 25-6, and just added a top 4 defenceman (top 2, talent wise, arguably). Fimis, Montgomery, Halttunen have only played a handful of games too. Keep the foot on the gas. Finish the job, Hunters!
Hard no. Knights don’t need more offence and Julien and O’Rielly felt the sting of the Mem Cup loss (a dumb championship with a host team) and are solid contributors to the team. Hawery will be the next Evangalista. The team is solid with today’s move is all that was needed. The moves you don’t make are usually the best ones.
GoKnightsGo44
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- Aug 31, 2006
- 1,637
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It’s like waking up on Christmas morning!
It would have been great to see Allan and Barkey make the juniors, but we are going to be really good over the holidays.
Barkey O’Reilly Montgomery
Van Gorp Julien Sim
Read Nicholl Van Bommel
Aboflan Hawery Boulton
Allen Brzustewicz
Woolley Fimis
Fagan Spencer
Mitchell
Elliot
Medvedev
It would have been great to see Allan and Barkey make the juniors, but we are going to be really good over the holidays.
Barkey O’Reilly Montgomery
Van Gorp Julien Sim
Read Nicholl Van Bommel
Aboflan Hawery Boulton
Allen Brzustewicz
Woolley Fimis
Fagan Spencer
Mitchell
Elliot
Medvedev
LDN
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- Sep 29, 2017
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- 6,022
If it is a 2 part deal I wondering if Mark or Dale are looking to go out with a bang lol.
What I've appreciated about this ownership group from day 1 is they are aggressive in mindset and constantly pivoting their philosophy on how they build their squads
What I've appreciated about this ownership group from day 1 is they are aggressive in mindset and constantly pivoting their philosophy on how they build their squads
GangGreen
Registered User
- May 27, 2012
- 1,645
- 970
Luchanko would be a nice luxury, but I wouldn't trade Hawery unless the deal is already done (2 parter as previously mentioned). Hawery is a big part of the future. At this point, nothing else needed. A #6 LH dman would be nice, but not really necessary. They won't play much in the playoffs, so Fimis, Fagan and Spencer can rotate in during the season.
As for the lineup, I feel like Barkey and Cowan should be split up, other than PP.
Something like
Barkey-Julien-Haltunnen
Montgomery-O'Reilly-Cowan
Sim-Nicholl-Nurmi
Van Gorp-Hawery-Boulton/Aboflan/Van Bommel
As for the lineup, I feel like Barkey and Cowan should be split up, other than PP.
Something like
Barkey-Julien-Haltunnen
Montgomery-O'Reilly-Cowan
Sim-Nicholl-Nurmi
Van Gorp-Hawery-Boulton/Aboflan/Van Bommel
LDN
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Looking forward to seeing him play! This is such a HELL YA trade
This looks so weird to me. FWIW Allen was my kid's first ever favourite hockey player. She said if he scores for London against the Storm she's still going to cheer for him/give him an ovation. This from a super competitive/crismson-loving kid. I love that energy.
LDN
Registered User
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That’s so awesome! So cool to hear the impact he made
Fimis brothers get to face each other tonight. Very cool!
Knights77
Registered User
It’s not about the offence that Jett brings. It is his faceoff skills, defence and pushing players down to other lines for easier match ups. And when you’re all in, you go all in. I’d rather give up Hawery and have a memorial cup then wonder what if and be competitive without that trophy.
The lineup you show is exactly why getting Jett would be great. Him as your 1st line centre, ORielly 2nd, Julien 3rd and Nicholl 4th. That’s insane depth down the middle. Hope it gets done.
LDN
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Jacob Julien Kinda reminds me when JJ Piccinich was on the 3rd line in 2016 and he still was a PPG guy and had 30 goals 66 points in 66 games. Some from playing with Marner for a bit but also playing with McDonald and Yakimowicz
LDN
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Julien is a fine OA and hopefully makes some improvements within the 2nd half. This 2nd half has some potential to be defining for his career in the pros
zman77
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Patience pays off for Canada's Easton Cowan: 'No one really thought anything of him'
"He can raise his level at important moments," said Hockey Canada's Peter Anholt, who leads the country's under-20 program.
"Special in that regard."
Cowan, who had a goal and an assist as an underage player at the 2024 world juniors, has 28 points in 20 contests with London this season after Toronto gave him a long look at training camp.
That experience along with what's to come must have felt a long way off for the kid grinding away in Komoka — a town just outside London in southwestern Ontario — three years ago.
"Keep working if you have the love of the game and you have the work ethic and dedication," Simpson said of the lessons in Cowan's journey. "People are seeing the end result.
"Even as a 16-year-old when he was playing Junior B and he was skating with us, every day he'd be out long after practice
working on his shot, working on his game."
Bonk is proud of his teammate's push to this point.
"Everyone's got a different path," Bonk said. "Some guys get better right away, then they drop off. And some guys just keep getting better.
"That's what happened with him."
Patience pays off for Canada's Easton Cowan: 'No one really thought anything of him' - Sports
Easton Cowan had to bide his time. Taken in the second round of the Ontario Hockey League's 2021 priority selection draft by the London Knights, he was initially bumped down two levels at age 16 for more seasoning. Cowan took the demotion in stride. He accepted the constructive criticism. He...
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