Knights struggle early, but huge reinforcements possibly coming

London Knights assistant coach Rick Steadman talks to his team at a Sept, 2024 practice (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

The London Knights continue to get players back from NHL training camps but while the roster takes shape, wins have been tough to come by in the early season.

London dropped both games this weekend and fell to 1-3 so far to start the season.

Those losses were 5-3 Friday against Erie at Budweiser Gardens, followed by a 6-3 defeat on the road against the Brampton Steelheads Saturday.

Despite the early struggles, they could be favorites to win the league again if the Toronto Maple Leafs decide to send OHL Most Valuable Player Easton Cowan back to London.

“You want to do what’s right for the long term,” Leafs GM Brad Treliving said Friday on The Fan Hockey Show.

“We think Easton is going to be a major part of this team moving forward. Now is that now, is that starting a year from now, we’ll see. We’ve got a few days to play this out but we’re going to do ultimately what’s really important for Easton.”

That decision could come in the next few days.

The Philadelphia Flyers just sent Oliver Bonk and Denver Barkey back for another year of Junior. Bonk is expected to play Wednesday in Owen Sound, and Barkey, recovering from injury, hopes to suit up soon.

Those two compliment NHL first round picks Sam Dickinson and Sam O’Reilly who just returned to the Knights and suited up this weekend.

It’s been a tough start to the season, but as the Knights but with the roster in flux, it’s still tough to tell how good this team can be.

No doubt, even without Cowan they’ll turn the ship around and be contenders.

If he does return, they’ll jump to the top of the list of championship favourites.