It may have to be studied someday. How is it that when a player lands with the London Knights, they almost instantaneously make a positive impact?

That seems to be the case so far for recent addition Braidy Wassilyn. The Knights acquired the 2026 NHL Draft-eligible prospect from the Niagara IceDogs for forward and Anaheim Ducks prospect Noah Read in a one-for-one trade.

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Wassilyn, who is a former No. 4 overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection, had 39 points in 62 games last season before being sidelined at the early stages of the 2025-26 campaign. He missed a few weeks before returning and looked strong with Niagara, picking up five points through his first six games back. 

We've acquired Braidy Wassilyn from the Niagara IceDogs. pic.twitter.com/acCsu6ZojV

— London Knights (@LondonKnights) October 28, 2025

For Niagara, it probably was a tougher trade to make, considering that they were walking away from a player on a NHL Draft track and one who represented Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, but gained a hometown kid in Read who may have a few more OHL seasons to play. Meanwhile, Wassilyn is committed to play NCAA hockey at Boston University after this season.

The London Knights are perpetually in a win-now mode and certainly needed to bolster scoring. Even though they may only have Wassilyn for the rest of this season and postseason alone, it was a deal worth making to try to keep the pressure on.

Wassilyn has rewarded his new team for that decision with nine points through his first six games. He has been held off the scoresheet just once since the trade and has goals in four of his six appearances with London.

The 6-foot, 194 pound forward has hovered around the first-round conversation for the 2026 NHL Draft, but can really supercharge that conversation with continued production.

Wassilyn has injected some excitement into London’s top six wings. With 14 total points this season between Niagara and London, Wassilyn trails only Ben Wilmott’s 19 points and Sam O’Reilly’s (TBL) 18 for the team lead in scoring.

Considering the amount of scoring London has gotten from its back end to augment some of the shortcomings of the forward group, adding Wassilyn throws a little lighter fuel into the attack with strong early returns.

Braidy Wassilyn stock is on the rise 📈 #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/81urHVZgSC

— London Knights (@LondonKnights) November 8, 2025

The Knights are 4-2 since Wassilyn’s arrival and have climbed the standings a bit more. 

The winning tradition built in London certainly seems to have a positive effect on players. Wassilyn was just starting to warm up in Niagara, so perhaps this outburst was coming regardless of where he played, but it could not have come at a better time for a player whose draft stock has been in flux.

Wassilyn was not included in the list of players invited to the CHL USA Prospects Challenge, which will take place in two weeks in Alberta. It’s a difficult team to make, but that extra added motivation can only help Wassilyn as he looks to prove himself under the bright lights in London.

Wassilyn and the Knights are back in action Thursday night against the Flint Firebirds at 7 p.m. ET.

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