The 67's solve their overage situation by trading 2003-born forward Kaleb Lawrence to the London Knights in exchange for an 8th round draft pick.
The Ottawa 67's have traded Kaleb Lawrence to the London Knights in exchange for an 8th round draft pick.
Trading Lawrence away resolves Ottawa's overage dilemma, as they acquired overager Samuel Mayer on Sunday. Including Lawrence, the 67's would have four overagers on their roster, over the league limit of three.
The 67's needed to make a decision among the four, and Lawrence was the odd man out.
The 6-foot-7 forward joins the London Knights as their third overager. This likely means that Ethan MacKinnon is done for the season due to injury.
Lawrence will add a much-needed veteran presence to the Knights forward core, as their bottom six is filled with rookies.
London's top-six is likely locked in with a combination of Barkey, Julien, Sim/McCue, Halttunen, O'Rielly, & Cowan. This means Lawrence will fill a bottom-six role, and help insulate the Knights young talent.
Leaving a top-heavy team in Ottawa will be difficult to walk away from, but on the other hand, Lawrence is joining a very promising London Knights team who should go far in the playoffs.
The Knights are one of the top teams in the West — sitting third in the Conference — and Lawrence's experience will be an asset. Lawrence was dealt from Owen Sound to Ottawa last offseason, and should be able to jump in and adjust to London's systems easily.
Lawrence was drafted in the 7th round by the LA Kings in 2022, and will look to end his junior career on a high note in London.