OHL: Knights Armour

For a fourth straight year, the London Knights finished first in the regular season standings. While some teams have had to rebuild, the cupboard is never empty in the - house of green. The additions of Sam Gagner and Patrick Kane helped the Knights advance to the Western Final, where they eventually lost to the Plymouth Whalers. With a healthy cast of returning players, the Knights should once again be contenders next season. McKeen's was on hand for several playoff games featuring the Knights and reviews several players.

Patrick Kane (2007), RW, London

Had an outstanding playoff registering 31 points in 16 games, as he was relied upon heavily in all offensive situations .. his passing skills are underrated, as he is such an effective scorer but he is not selfish and always looks for the open man before shooting .. skating is good, as his first step is above average however, he is not overly fast but shifty and uses his upper body to out-maneuver players .. great stick, he makes plays with his clever playmaking ability .. given that the Knights offensive scheme and game plan is geared mainly around him, his defensive game needs to be worked on, as he rarely comes back .. finds options by darting in and out of scoring areas but was neutralized by bigger forwards in the Plymouth series .. looked rather ordinary in the Plymouth series however, fatigue could have been an issue, as his workload this season was the most he has ever seen .. still pegged as a top-two pick, as he brings so much offensive jam in a relatively weak draft year.

Sam Gagner (2007), C, London

Second only to Kane in playoff scoring, as the dynamic duo continued their scoring exploits into the playoffs .. has an unbelievable feel for the game, as his anticipation and sense make him the smartest player in the draft .. he is guilty of standing still too much and as a result, he is bumped off the puck .. he makes intelligent plays on the boards and in open ice .. very elusive, as his puck skills make it very hard for players to get a read on him .. always seems to find an option if he gets in trouble, as he can constantly find the open man .. like the majority of his teammates, he seemed out of gas playing against Plymouth and at times disinterested, unwilling to engage in physical battles along the boards .. skating slows him down but his decision-making and hockey smarts make him a sensible top-12 selection.

Justin Taylor (2007), C, London

Was able to establish himself in the playoffs and contribute at both ends of the ice .. his defensive makeup allowed him to play with better linemates, which makes him more versatile and coach Hunter could put him in any role .. healthy skater, not blinding but effective in his turns and cuts .. still needs more strength in all areas to aid his game .. his physical play would be better served if he could win corner or side board battles but as it stands now, he is unable to compete in those areas but flourishes in open ice .. should see more icetime next season, as he should hold down a top-six forward position, thus enabling him to get more points.

Scott Aarssen (2007), D, London

Suffered some nagging injuries throughout the year but returned for a relatively healthy playoff run .. played more of a defensive role, as he was not able to contribute much offensively .. plays a smart game and the back end has much more stability with him in the lineup, allowing forwards to cheat a little knowing that he will cover for them .. he does not over handle the puck and plays a very calm game .. his pointshot is not much of a weapon, as he is used more to set up players and use his vision to create .. decent skater, he has the speed to keep up at the OHL level .. should be able to develop nicely and be a good University player.

Kevin Montgomery (Col), D, London

Had an atrocious playoff, as he only dressed in nine games registering no points and sporting a team high minus-7 .. in his defense, he was playing injured and was in and out of the lineup nevertheless, he failed to display any sort of physical involvement in the postseason .. he often backed away from hits and played too tentatively without the puck .. his active stick and quick feet helped him in one-on-one situations but he could still do a better job gapping .. a fluid skater, it helps him rush the play however, he is over zealous in the offensive zone and often loses his positioning because of his lack of awareness, often playing and getting caught deep in the zone .. pinches at inappropriate times .. can QB a PP with modest success, as his passing skills and pointshot are the best on the team for a defenseman however, the coaching staff often goes with a five forward attack on the PP .. struggles when faced against a strong fore-checking team, as he has a tendency to hold onto the puck too long and as a result loses it .. should be able to improve upon last year's efforts with more icetime and a heightened sense of urgency however, there are many facets of his game that need to be improved to be a more dimensional player.

David Meckler (LA), RW, London

Scored more than half of his playoff leading (15) goals on the PP, where his one-timer was often utilized .. his shot power and release is what makes him so effective .. he is a good role player for this team that can provide scoring depth .. an ok skater, there appears to be a kink in it as far as appearance is concerned because it could be a little more fluid .. he does boast quick reverse movement, which helps him recover and be useful in the defensive zone .. looks to initiate hits and will not back down from physical play .. needs to play with sandpaper at all times to be effective .. does a good job finding open ice, but if he played tougher in all situations, he would have more room to unleash his shot .. another year of major Jr. A should help him, as will the experience of being successful in another Knights playoff run.

Sergei Kostitsyn (Mtl), RW, London

Finished the season strong and rode his confidence into the playoffs with impressive totals, averaging over a point a game .. creates with outstanding vision and accurate tape-to-tape passes .. although at times, he tends to do things on his own too much and fails to recognize open players .. he needs to play with more urgency and consistency .. he has all the tools, as his puck skills could be one of the best in the entire OHL .. a shifty skater who explodes with the puck on his stick .. has a great shot that he can unload instantly .. recently signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Montreal.

Steve Mason (CBJ), G, London

Saw over 61 games of action but struggled in the playoffs, resulting in being pulled on two separate occasions .. moves well across but at times, he loses his balance and exposes too much of the net .. has done a better job to compact his stance and covering up his holes when he drops to the butterfly .. employing his stick in front of him and covering the five-hole has helped his play down low .. handles the puck well but at times, he could be less aggressive in playing it, although the Knights generate offence on poor dump ins and he did manage three assists in the postseason .. he has quick feet and is an above-average skater .. his problem lies in dropping down too often and he is beaten up high as a result .. OHL goalie-of-the-year should shoulder the load once again for the Knights next season.

Josh Beaulieu (Phi), LW, London

Had a 10-game suspension prior to the playoffs but returned and gave the Knights leadership, physical play and a scoring touch .. is a playoff performer, as his rough style of play is geared for grinding contests .. an ok skater with average speed and a short stride but he is relentless in his puck pursuit and does not give up on a play .. finishes checks and is aggressive but surprisingly, is not overly effective along the boards largely due to his lack of balance .. scored many garbage goals in front by taking abuse and using his hands down low .. will engage in a fight, which made him a favorite with coach Hunter .. should be one of three overage players returning for next season.

Kale Kerbashian (2008), C, London

Fourth round pick from the Thunder Bay Kings joined the Knights in their last two regular season games however, saw limited action in the playoffs .. speedy center that played primarily on the fourth line .. showed good speed entering the zone, as he drew many defenders out wide .. lacks the physical strength to charge the net but he did manage to jump into plays on occasion .. showed mature offensive instincts, a trait that made him a fourth-round selection, as he was the leading scorer on his team entering his draft year .. slightly behind plays in terms of anticipation but he should be able to adjust to the league nicely next season and may be a surprise goal-scorer in a third-line capacity for the Knights.