The London Knights will start the season without one of their top forwards.

Will Nicholl is expected to miss four to six months after undergoing “upper-body” surgery this summer and that puts the speedy centre’s expected recovery timeline into at least January. The Oilers draft pick scored 21 goals and 57 points in 66 games for the Memorial Cup champs last year.

“Will’s injury was from last season,” London associate GM Rob Simpson said. “When you go that long (into the playoffs) for that many years, some of these injuries creep up on you and you need some maintenance and time to get healed.”

Star centre Sam O’Reilly also won’t be part of the Knights training camp, which starts Monday. An upper-body injury cost him a chance at participating with Canada in the recent World Junior Summer S

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