CREDIT: JORDAN CROW
Playoffs are just around the corner for the OHL and even though the Knights have been one of the best teams this year, what other teams are going to give them a run for their money?

Year after year, the London Knights have been a force to reckon with in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Whether it’s great coaching, good draft instincts or players reaching their full potential, the Knights are always good. The winning culture in London was on full display last year, when they brought home the franchise’s second Memorial Cup.

It’s a lofty goal, but anything less than another CHL Championship would be a disappointment to the London brass. However, the great thing about junior hockey is that anyone can beat anyone in a seven game series. In that spirit, what teams could compete with London for an OHL Championship this post-season?

Erie Otters

London might be deeper than Erie up and down the lineup, but no one can compete with the top offensive talent of the Otters. This is a team that has continuously produced some of the league’s top talent; just look at where Connor McDavid is now. What pushes Erie over the top this year is the return of Arizona first rounder Dylan Strome. He joins the top two scorers in the OHL in Taylor Raddysh (TB ’16) and Alex DeBrincat (CHI ’16) to round out the best first line in the CHL.

At the deadline, the Otters acquired well-rounded forward Anthony Cirelli (TB ’15) and big defenseman Cameron Lizotte to play with veteran Darren Raddysh. After falling short the last two years, it’s make-or-break time for the Otters this year. They have both the talent and the experience to push London to the brink in a playoff series.

Windsor Spitfires

With home-ice advantage locking them a berth in the 2017 Memorial Cup, the Windsor Spitfires are win or bust come playoff time, and they are elite at all ends of the rink. On the front end, the addition of gold medalist Jeremy Bracco (TOR ’15) at the deadline will be a huge addition, while Gabriel Vilardi is a guaranteed top 10 pick in the 2017 Draft. They have a core of players who can both score and bring toughness to the team, headlined by Jeremiah Addison and Cristiano Digiacinto, this will be huge in the aggressive nature of the playoffs.

First-rounders Mikhail Sergachev (MTL ’16) and Logan Brown (WPG ’16) headline arguably the best defensive core in the league. Meanwhile, goaltender Michael DiPietro leads the OHL in save percentage and goals against average. They’re hard to score on, and with new additions of Bracco and Julius Nattinen (ANA ’15) up front, they should have no trouble scoring goals. They haven’t been playing their best hockey lately, but if they can turn it around, this is a tough team to beat.

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Sault Ste. Marie doesn’t quite have the depth of London or Erie, but they’re still a good team. They were surprisingly quiet at the trade deadline, but they have a potent offensive group, capable of scoring goals at a rapid pace. Zach Senyshyn (BOS ’15), who was a snub from Team Canada, has scored 30 goals in 42 games, while Bobby MacIntyre boasts 63 points in 43 games, good enough for eighth in the league. Throw Blake Speers in there, who spent time in New Jersey and on Team Canada this season, and you have one of the best top three in the OHL.

Their goaltending is sound, and defensemen Noah Carroll (CAR ’16), Colton White (NJ ’15) and Gustav Bouramman (MIN ’15) round out an impressive defensive core. I would not be overly surprised if they were playing for a Memorial Cup in May, I just don’t think they can match up with London or Erie on paper.

Owen Sound Attack

At the beginning of the season, I did not expect Owen Sound to be as dominant as they are today. The Attack had won 15 games in a row before London broke the streak in a shootout on Jan. 28. During that streak, they beat both Sault Ste. Marie and Windsor handily. They’re physical, fast and young, with 17 players born in 1998 or later. Their prospect pool is the deepest in the league and boasts three of the top 15 scorers in the OHL. That includes 17-year-old Nick Suzuki Petrus Palmu and Kevin Hancock.

Michael McNiven (MTL ’15) makes a strong case for the best goaltender in the OHL, and likely could be playing for the Canadiens next year. Youth could be their downfall, but it could also take them deep into the playoffs. If they keep winning at the pace they’re at, there’s no reason this team couldn’t upset any of the best in the west.

Erie, Windsor, Sault Ste. Marie and Owen Sound are the teams that have the best chance of dethroning the Knights in a seven-game series, probably in that order. I’m biased, but I still think London is better than any of those teams, and with the depth they have at all positions, beating them in seven games will be enormously difficult. But if the Knights want to still be playing in May, these are the teams they’re inevitably going to see down the road.

And none of them will be easy.