On February 7th Neutral Zone watched the Knights host the Saginaw Spirit in a high scoring affair that ended with London winning 7-3. The Knight’s scoring was dominated by players who already have their name’s attached to NHL organizations, but how did their draft prospects look?
Luke Evangelista (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B+) Forward
Luke made a positive impact on this one. He had one assist, but to me it was his consistent work ethic and high compete that really stood out. Luke was a dominant penalty killer, taking direct routes to take away time and space while using an excellent stick to break up passing set plays. He maintained shooting lanes and actually generated a 2v1 shorthanded rush that displayed his vision and poise. In even strength situations Luke made smart plays at the lines and his forechecking angles were smart and well timed. He never tried to turn the game into point night. He stayed true to London’s systems and was very noticeable all game. Game Grade: B+
Kirill Steklov (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B+) Defense
It was a very nice game for the big man. He scored on a shorthanded break away where everything about his improving game was on display… lowered skating base, long reach and game awareness. His stride looks dramatically longer and his straight ahead speed excellent. Kirill looked more agile while defending line rushes and while eliminating the cycle. He looked strong and confident all game. Game Grade: B
Gerard Keane (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Defense
I thought Gerard was very solid tonight. He was very strong in the scoring areas and while eliminating the line rush early. It’s obvious that London’s high scoring forwards want the puck on their stick and Gerard’s puck decisions were made quickly and confidently. His passes were on the tape and easy to handle. He also showed puck poise along the offensive blueline that resulted in a secondary assist off of a quick snap shot. He played a hard nosed game that I liked. Game Grade: B-
Antonio Stranges (4.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B+) Forward
It was an interesting game for Antonio. He’s in the middle of an extended scoring slump (13 games), so you would be expecting him to be pressing and to a certain extent he did. But he also showed mental toughness and some grime. Saginaw’s first goal originated on an errant pass off of Antonio’s stick, but to me how he responded was the important thing. He never moped or sulked. He got back to work, played a solid game and contributed to the win. Nathan Dunkley‘s rebound goal originated off of a face-off battle for a loose puck that Antonio won. So while he didn’t end up on the score sheet, he kept the play alive and made the heady pass to Steklov that kept in zone possession alive. He was also involved in a physical scrum at the end of the game. I am by no means suggesting that Antonio should be fighting, but it was great to see him stand up for himself and get involved. It’s the kind of thing that can end a slump so we shall see. Game Grade: C+
Bryce Montgomery (4 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade — B) Defense
Bryce is a player to keep an eye on for the 2021 NHL Draft. In today’s game he looked poised and confident. I was impressed by his effort to be an outlet for his partner during neutral zone transition and in the defensive zone when starting breakouts. Saginaw’s forward core is quick, fast and elusive in 1v1 situations and Bryce showed very good lateral agility and had the ability to match speeds against them. It is obvious that his game game has matured quite while playing for Coach Hunter and he is an exciting prospect to watch moving forward. Game Grade: C+
And just to be honest Liam Foudy, Connor McMichael and Ryan Merkley were on another level and appear to be ready for professional hockey.