Will the star-studded, new-look Frontenacs be a playoff threat?
It doesn’t take much to realize that the Kingston Frontenacs are going for it all this season.
Currently sitting fifth in the OHL in points, the team’s trade deadline was one of the biggest splashes in recent league history.
Already boasting a strong offence led by Dallas Stars 2017 second-round pick Jason Robertson and 2018 draft eligible Linus Nyman, general manager Darren Keily bolstered up with the acquisition of five players last month to push the Frontenacs from “good team” to one of the league’s top contenders heading into the upcoming playoffs.
Over the course of the first eight days of 2017, the Frontenacs acquired Gabriel Vilardi and Sean Day from the Windsor Spitfires, Cliff Pu and Max Jones from the London Knights, and Mitchell Byrne from the Erie Otters. Vilardi and Day were members of the 2017 Memorial Cup Championship team, Pu and Jones were champions with a year prior. Meanwhile, Byrne won the OHL’s Robertson Cup last year with Erie, before falling short in the Memorial Cup final to Windsor.
The moves didn’t come without a price, as the Frontenacs ended up trading away fourteen picks (three of which are conditional) for the five players. Additionally, they parted ways with Cody Morgan and Nathan Dunkley, their first round selections in each of the past two Priority Selection drafts, as well as 17-year old forward Sergei Popov. It’s a bold statement that shows the Frontenacs are willing to sacrifice key parts of their future for the chance to make a postseason run this year.
Along with Robertson, Helvig, and four of the trade deadline acquisitions (Pu, Jones, Vilardi, and Day), the team has eight players who feature as NHL draft picks. Adding to that list are 2017 Toronto Eemeli Räsänen and 2017 Nashville seventh-rounder Jacob Paquette, who have been assistant captains and occasionally played together as the team’s top pairing this season.
But what allowed Keily to be so aggressive was his belief in veteran goaltender Jeremy Helvig, who at .919 is second in the league among regular starters in the save percentage category. As a team, the Frontenacs have 151 goals allowed, second only to Sault Ste. Marie. “Goaltending has become a premium and we just felt that if we could add to our team this would be the time to do it,” Keily said in an interview with the Canadian Press last month.
The NHL-level talent’s been on show all year as Robertson, Nyman, and Pu currently sit sixth, seventh, and ninth respectively in OHL scoring. It’s no surprise that the Frontenacs are currently riding an eight-game win streak.
Similar highlight pack but a focus on the 3 gorgeous goals from #LAKings prospect Gabe Vilardi. Readiness (stick on the ice, ready to change directions), creativity (getting into a higher danger area), puck protection & puck control. He makes it look easy. pic.twitter.com/BGQy6DOZFN
— Kathryn Jean (@msconduct) February 8, 2018
But the biggest impact so far has been from Vilardi, whose comeback from an offseason back injury has been nothing short of spectacular. As his time off forced him to miss a potential world junior spot for Canada, he’s shown what made him one of the most-sought after players in last year’s entry draft. He’s picked up 11 goals and 24 assists in just 17 games so far, vaulting him to fourth place in team scoring despite having played slightly less than one-third of the games. In 7 out of his 17 games, he’s registered at least three points. Though it’s a smaller sample size than most, Vilardi currently leads the league in points per game with 2.06.
Cliff Pu scored his 21st goal as part of a three-point night in Kingston's OT win at Ottawa. Pu has deposited 11 points (5+6) in 11 games since being dealt to the Fronts. #Sabres pic.twitter.com/EtRzs9S1Sl
— Kris Baker (@SabresProspects) January 28, 2018
Unfortunately for Kingston, Jones has been sidelined with a broken finger since January 21st. The power forward has put up 19 goals in 31 games this season, while featuring on the American roster at the World Juniors. However, reports are saying that he’ll be healthy come playoff time, adding an extra layer of depth to the Frontenacs offence.
Despite the injection of talent, things won’t be easy for the Frontenacs in the OHL playoffs. In the Western Conference, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds have lost just nine times in 54 contests this year, while the Sarnia Sting, led by St. Louis prospect Jordan Kyrou, post the league’s best offence with 244 goals in 54 games. In Kingston’s Eastern Conference, they’re battling with divisional rivals in the Hamilton Bulldogs, who currently hold an eight-point lead over Kingston.
It doesn’t mean much, but it’s worth noting playoff history has not been kind to Kingston. Though they’ve advanced to the second round in consecutive seasons, they’ve found themselves swept in back-to-back years. Prior to that, the team had not won a single playoff series since the 1997-98 year, and haven’t been to the league semi-finals since 1992-93.
With the playoffs still just over a month away, Kingston’s still got 15 games left to figure out whether their big gamble will pay off.