A look at the Kingston Frontenacs preseason roster.
For the next segment in our preseason/training camp roster breakdowns, we will look at the Kingston Frontenacs preseason roster.
Kingston is one of the teams with a shorter list of preseason games. They are one of two teams who have only played a single preseason game at this point. Their solitary game resulted in a 5-1 loss to the Ottawa 67's on Sept, 1.
Last season, Kingston finished seventh in the Eastern Conference with 70 points and 33 wins. They subsequently lost their first-round series against the North Bay Battalion in five games.
Overage Players
The Frontenacs have three overage players listed on their preseason roster. They are right winger Gage Heyes, center Cedrick Guindon and goaltender Nolan Lalonde.
Gage, an Oshawa native, spent the last three years playing in Kingston. He was the Frontenacs' fifth-round pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. Although he has never scored more than 20 points in a single season, he has consistently improved his point totals.
Montreal Canadiens prospect Cedrick Guindon will play his first year in Kingston after being acquired by the team during the summer. Kingston sent five picks to Owen Sound to acquire the star forward. Guindon was Owen Sound's first-round pick in the 2020 OHL Priority Selection. Over the course of 204 OHL games, Guindon scored 78 goals and 107 assists. He will be a big part of Kingston's offense next year.
Fellow Summer acquisition Nolan Lalonde joins the Frontenacs after winning a Memorial Cup with the Saginaw Spirit. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect spent the majority of his OHL career in Erie before moving to Saginaw last year. In 131 OHL starts, he has recorded a 3.68 goals against average and a .872 save percentage. Lalonde will be the most experienced goaltender in Kingston this year and will have a big role to play.
Import Players
A pair of Finnish players and a Slovakian player are present in Kingston's preseason roster.
The team traded for Tuomas Uronen from the Ottawa 67's in the middle of the summer. Uronen struggled with injuries last season. The Vegas Golden Knights prospect scored two goals and added four assists in 11 games for Ottawa. He will look to bounce-back with Kingston. Depending on how he does, Kingston may have acquired an impactful forward for very cheap.
Defender Emil Pieniniemi will potentially make his OHL debut with Kingston this season. Kingston drafted Pieniniemi with the tenth pick in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. He was also selected in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft by Pittsburgh. At 6-foot-2 Pieniniemi is a big left-handed defender who has showed some scoring upside this year. He has four points in four games with Finland's U-20 team.
Kingston traded for Slovak defender Jakub Chromiak early last year. Chromiak played seven games with the Sudbury Wolves before playing in 48 games with Kingston. He scored 19 points in 55 games last year. The 18-year-old defenseman is slightly undersized at 5-foot-11.
Kingston will have a decision to make with their overage players. Teams are only allowed to carry two import players during the season. They may have to move one of these three.
2024 draft class
Kingston traded the rights to first-round pick Caleb Malhotra last week after the young forward committed to Boston University. He is currently playing in the BCHL for the Chilliwack Chiefs.
Four other 2008-born players feature in Kingston's preseason roster.
Second-round pick Nolan Buttar signed with the team in May. Hailing from Lindsay ON, Buttar scored 40 points playing for the Peterborough Petes U-16 AAA team last season. With Malhotra gone, Buttar is Kingston's top prospect in this draft class. He is likely to have a role with the team as they work to develop him.
Third-round pick Gavin Betts also signed with the Frontenacs in May. Betts was the first goalie drafted in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection. Last season he played for the Mississauga Rebels U-16 AAA team. He also played two games for the Pickering Panthers in the OJHL. He recorded a 3.50 GAA and a .903 save percentage in those games. At the OHL Cup he played 5 games and recorded a 2.18 GAA and a .915 save percentage. He will be in a battle for a spot with Lalonde and Mason Vaccari.
Fifth-round pick Camden MacCuaig committed to Kingston in May. MacCuaig scored 35 points in 30 games with the Eastern Ontario Wild U-16 AAA squad. He was a player who got called up to multiple junior leagues. He scored six points for the Char-Lan Rebels in four EOJHL games. He also played four games with the Cornwall Colts in the CCHL.
Finally, fifth-round pick Adam Kelly signed with the team in May. Kelly scored 27 points in 35 games with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens U-16 AAA team. He also played in three OJHL games for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens.
Kingston made some interesting acquisitions this offseason. They are a team that is likely to have improved from last year. With a stable of young players, they are a team whose window will be open for the next few years.