The London Knights were the first team to clinch a playoff spot in the OHL this season, here's a further breakdown of their lineup heading in, performance this season, and projection.
The London Knights are full of young, NHL-affiliated talent, and that is what is going to make them serious contenders for the next few seasons.
London always seems to find a way to be competitive each season in the OHL. Last season, they went to the OHL Finals. This season, they are projected to go even further.
The Knights are the clear favourites to win the OHL Championship and join the Saginaw Spirit in the Memorial Cup, but what has allowed them to be so successful this season? They didn't make many moves at the Trade Deadline, and they lost a lot of players during the offseason.
Lineup/Roster Breakdown
The trio of Denver Barkey, Easton Cowan, & Oliver Bonk have been the three big cornerstones of the Knights roster this season — and they are only 2005's.
Each of these three were drafted in the 2023 NHL Draft, and they have taken off in their DY+1 seasons. Barkey is 4th in league scoring, Cowan is in the midst of a 26 game point streak, & Bonk leads the OHL in powerplay goals.
Beyond these three, on the blueline is Sam Dickinson, Isaiah George, Jackson Edward, and Alec Leonard — who are all capable of playing on an OHL's top pair. London's depth in each position is astounding, especially on defence.
Dickinson is projected to be a very high first round pick in this year's NHL Draft, George is an Islanders prospect, and Edward is a Bruins prospect.
On the forward front — in addition to Barkey & Cowan — the Knights have two very impactful Import Draft picks. Kasper Halttunen and Ruslan Gazizov are both significant parts of their offence. Halttunen joined the team this season, since being drafted in the second round by the San Jose Sharks. Gazizov has been with the team since the 2021-2022 season.
Other depth forwards include draft eligibles Sam O'Reilly & Will Nicholl, who should both hear their names called this June. Max McCue and Landon Sim have had great seasons too, both are just shy of a point-per-game pace.
In goal, former OHL Champion and Playoff MVP Michael Simpson has been unstoppable. He has been one of the best goaltenders in the OHL this season, and he seems to be able to make the last save each time his team needs it.
Playoff Projection
As previously mentioned, the London Knights are currently the clear favourites to win the OHL Championship and join Saginaw at the Memorial Cup. But to get there, the Knights will have to face some tough matchups.
If the playoffs started today, London would face Flint — a very favourable matchup for London. Depending on how the seeding shakes out, the second round is where it will likely get harder. London will likely have to face two of Saginaw, the Soo, and Kitchener in rounds two and three.
In the finals, they will face the top dog in the East, which is currently the Brantford Bulldogs.
London will likely face their toughest matchups in the second and third rounds within their own division. If they can win those, they have a very good chance of winning in the finals.