The London Knights were looking to have all the cards fall into place this season. Now, it seems they may have to shuffle the deck sooner than anticipated.
The Knights have been touted in pre-season polls as one of the strongest junior teams in Canada. When you pair that with the fact they are the Memorial Cup hosts, the team will be in the public eye throughout this season.
It's not a bad place to be. You are guaranteed participation in junior hockey's showcase and it's obvious many believe your on-ice abilities and personnel warrant a No. 1 ranking.
It's a position that allows for careful planning before making any moves. After all, it didn't appear the Knights had a lot of holes to fill. They just needed a little adjusting.
How things change.
The Knights have taken a hit with injuries on the blue-line and to over-age players.
They still don't have defenceman Frank Rediker back from a knee injury from last year. Now gone for at least half the season with a broken leg is another defenceman, Ryan Pottruff, who could also fill in up front and added some size to a small team.
The signing of Danny Richmond by the Carolina Hurricanes has cost the Knights a talented offensive defenceman. With a year under his belt in the Ontario Hockey League, Richmond had gained strength and no doubt would have been better defensively.
In an exhibition game on Thursday, over-age winger Logan Hunter went down with a broken ankle and will be gone at least six weeks.
The initial reaction might be to sit tight and see what happens. There is no initial need to panic. This might be just the opportunity several young players need to develop and learn their craft.
It will give first-round draft pick Steven Ferry a chance at more ice time, along with OHL rookie blue-liners Kole Bryce, a free-agent signing from Strathroy Rockets, and Matt McCready, a seventh-round pick in the OHL draft from Tecumseh.
The Knights eventually will go with seven defencemen. If Richmond, Pottruff and Rediker were available along with Danny Syvret, Marc Methot and Adam Nemeth, those young players wouldn't have gotten a lot of ice time. Look for Syvret, Methot, Nemeth and Ferry to see the majority of the work until Rediker returns.
Shawn Futers, the hard-nosed forward the Knights got from the Peterborough Petes, will fill in on the blue-line.
"Bryce and McCready are close," Knights assistant coach Jacques Beaulieu said. "I think Frank will be fine when he comes back. He's skating hard now. Ferry is good, real good. He has (Danny Syvret) written all over him."
The Knights could go out and make a deal, of course. They have some assets other teams could use. But everyone knows the Knights could use a solid blue-liner with some size and experience. No one is about to do them a favour and give them one without making them pay through the nose.
Patience is a virtue. There will be good players available early in the season, especially overage players. London is now an attractive place to play with a trip to the Memorial Cup guaranteed.
From adversity comes good. These young players will learn under fire. The organization will get an idea of how good they are while sorting out what they need to fill the holes.
There's one other aspect that may work to this team's advantage: goaltenders Ryan MacDonald and Gerald Coleman likely will see more shots. It will give the Knights staff a better look at who should be the No. 1 goaltender.
