CREDIT: THE LONDON FREE PRESS
Alex Basso chased by Matt Mistele of Plymouth during the Knights’ home opener.

Defence wins games. That's something you'll hear coaches say often. And for the London Knights, it's no different.

The Knights will boast one of the best defences in the entire OHL, and that's mainly when you factor in first-round NHL picks Olli Määttä (Pittsburgh, 2012) and Nikita Zadorov (Buffalo, 2013).

The problem for Knights general manager Mark Hunter is that he needs to ensure the rest of his defence is up to speed. The Knights' blue line is good, but they don't have a ton of OHL experience.

For instance, Miles Liberati dressed for 42 games last season, Dakota Mermis left the University of Denver for London in January, Santino Centorame has three OHL games under his belt, with Aiden Jamieson entering his first OHL season.

In comes Alex Basso.

Basso does take up one of three overage spots but he brings with him four seasons of OHL experience, with stints in Belleville and more recently in Sarnia. He also brings with him a ton of offensive upside — the Toronto native finished with 44 points, 11 of them goals, last season.

Entering his final season of OHL eligibility, the 6'1” right-handed defenceman did not report to Sarnia's training camp. Instead, he held out for a team that would be competing for the OHL title come playoffs.

Enter the London Knights.

“It's been a transition, a good transition” said Basso ahead of team practice. “I think it was in [Sarnia's] best interest and my best interest we parted ways. Sarnia is rebuilding, so they got what they wanted, I got what I wanted.”

The Knights gave up Barrie's second-round pick in 2015, as well as a pair of 2014 third-round picks belonging to the Colts and Kingston. That's a hefty price to pay for a veteran, but it was a move that needed to be made.

For Basso, thinking about the chance to play in the Memorial Cup next summer is a great morale booster. He knows what it takes to succeed in the OHL, but like every player in this league, he's still learning the ropes.

“This summer was my first NHL camp [with the Minnesota Wild]. It's a wakeup call. It opens your eyes on the things you need to work on. I'm ready to give it my best this season.”

In my books, Basso comes in as a direct replacement for fan favourite Kevin Raine, who was traded to Sudbury last season for Justin Sefton. Sefton didn't fit in with the Knights' plans this season and he's since moved on to Saginaw.

But one defenceman wasn't enough for the Hunter brothers. They claimed Owen Stewart off waivers from the Kitchener Rangers to help the team's backend.

“I've always liked [Stewart's] potential,” said Hunter. “He's big and he can skate. We don't have Olli and Zadorov right now. If they go to World Juniors, they're going to be gone a month around Christmas, so [Stewart's] going to get the opportunity to play.”

A native of Greely, Ontario, Stewart dressed for 33 games last season in Kitchener. Now he's donning the colours of the “enemy.”

“It's fun to be someone who's moved between two rival teams,” he said with a smile. “I was surprised when it happened, but happy when I learned I was going to London.”

In his stint with Kitchener, Stewart notched two goals and one assist with a plus-2 rating. He's got some ways to go to improve his game, no doubt. What's more, he's confident about handling the responsibility that the Knights' expect from their all players.

The same applies to Basso, albeit in a much larger role. He becomes the mentor to the younger crop of London Knights, Stewart included.

“I need to be a leader on and off the ice and guide some of the younger guys,” added Basso. “Knowing it's my final season, you got to put in the extra effort to reach the final goal. I know I have to bring my A-game, every game.”

The opening night shutout against the Plymouth Whalers was an added bonus. Despite that shutout, London's biggest concern that night was in the defensive end. Yes, their two best defencemen are missing, plus it's very early in the season, which is why alarm bells aren't ringing.

So far, so good though as London were the only team with no goals against after one OHL game.

They may be at the bottom of the Midwest Division at the time of writing, but they won't be there for long.