OHL: Everybody Loves Romano

With the departures of Patrick Kane, Sam Gagner, David Meckler and Sergei Kostitsyn, who combined for 175 goals, the London Knights began the season with a horrific 0-6 start. Since then, the Knights have rebounded nicely, as new additions like Tony Romano and Patrick Maroon have helped, as has the return of goalie Steve Mason. McKeen's looks at several Knights, including NHL first round hopeful Phil McRae.

Phil McRae (2008), C, London

The departures of other top-flight scorers has left a huge void for McRae to step in and produce, however the transition has not come as smoothly for the second year OHLer .. following a stellar Under-18 tournament where he tied for the tournament lead in points (6) and goals (4), the stage seemed set for McRae to break out yet he seems content to only play within his limits .. a surprisingly fast skater who uses his size to get into scoring lanes .. plays with some jam, however will never be confused as a grinder .. he does however work the corners with more regularity now, as his confidence and strength levels have increased since last year .. has good vision, he made many nice passes that managed to slither through the defense .. playing with more consistency in his defensive game, he often came back and his plus/minus totals are a reflection as to how far his game has come in that regard .. unleashes a very powerful shot and has soft hands for a big man who can finish in close .. quietly registered four points in this contest and is slowly starting to emerge as the go-to-guy on this team, desperate for leadership up front.

Vladimir Roth (2008), D, London

First Import selection has been a stalwart on the backend playing a reliable game that is very reminiscent of a young Marek Malik .. poised and confident with the puck, he is careful not to hold onto it too long .. he has finesse skills when handling the puck, as he applies a little extra touch on his passes and they are crisp and accurate .. very cerebral player in terms of positioning .. quick to recognize time and space and makes steady adjustments in all three zones .. his reverse movement and overall mobility are impressive attributes .. he has an effortless stride and can do many things at top speed .. used on the PP and has a hard shot, which he keeps low but he does not always see PP action, as the Knights roll with a five man, forward unit .. could protect the puck better and assert himself more physically .. making appropriate strides while playing within his limits, the potential is there, he just needs to find his comfort zone within the league.

Tony DeHart (2008), D, London

Played a fair amount of hockey this past summer at Minnesota select camps in anticipation of making the Under-18 team for USA .. unsung hero on the backend for the Knights .. not overly dynamic in any facet of his game, yet he is dependable in his own zone and shows flashes of offensive creativity and imagination .. he can make a good first pass out of the zone .. has nimble feet and moves well .. needs to think quicker with the puck and avoid taking shots in blocked shooting lanes .. his shot is not very strong .. he makes up for his lack of shot power by readily jumping into the play, as he makes strong pinches to get himself involved with the offence .. encouraged at most times to hang back, as this is the coach Hunter's philosophy .. DeHart has done a good job of replacing Bodker on the backend.

Tony Romano (NJ), RW, London

Free agent signing from Cornell has given the Knights speed and a highly skilled offensive player .. still being acclimatized to the pace of the league, Romano has been producing at better than a half-point, per game .. he has excellent speed and coupled with his shiftiness, he is difficult to contain in open ice .. he can score from in close, as his wrists are strong and much like his feet, are very quick .. not overly built, he shies away from physical play and did not go into the corners once the entire contest .. his lack of defensive play was also unsettling .. he was always the first forward to leave the defensive zone and often found himself grossly out of position when the play did not advance .. one dimensional at this stage.

Patrick Maroon (Phi), LW, London

Sixth round pick has played exceptionally well and has already earned a three-year deal with the Flyers .. strong and sturdy winger who is a complete bull on skates .. like a lightning bolt, he strikes in the offensive zone, attacking the dirty areas with unbridled enthusiasm .. ferocious in his puck pursuit, he lacks explosive leg power to get him to loose pucks in open ice but he is a very hard competitor down low and could be one of the strongest players on their feet in the entire league .. does a great job of getting to the net, as he protects the puck with his massive frame .. has good vision to make a pass however, he holds onto the puck too long .. poor start-up but once he gets moving he can be a force, as he creates healthy speed entering the offensive zone .. is currently leading the OHL in rookie scoring and with a surplus of PP time and it is conceivable for him to win Rookie-of-the-Year honors.