I really want to be all in on Connor, because I love his offensive brilliance and goal scoring ability. But I can't get over the frustration of watching him muff zone exits and transitions repeatedly, and then watch as his line chases around in its own zone. I really wish there was an obvious way to identify and rectify whatever it is that impedes his ability in that area. Three things I have noticed as I try to watch closer: 1) he is slow to anticipate when he needs to jump on an opportunity to go for the puck in his own zone; 2) he is somewhat timid when there is a board battle looming, so he shies away from the puck when he needs to dig in; 3) he is too casual in his decisions and plays to move the puck when he does have it in his own zone.
I've contrasted this with Ehlers, who is an absolute genius. Ehlers is very quick to recognize opportunities to get on a puck in his defensive region, and gets to pucks faster than opponents. He has a wider set of strategies for moving the puck when he has it in his own zone, including a strategy of taking the puck deeper into his zone away from pinching D and forecheckers. He actually finds soft spots down the boards towards his own goal line and either circles and finds space, or gets the puck to his D behind his net or on the other side of his net to reverse the puck for an exit out the other side. Ehlers is also more inclined to take a hit to get his stick on the puck first, either chipping it to a puck-supporting teammate or moving even smothering it and then working from a stalemate instead of giving it up easily.
I think the easiest way for Connor to improve his zone play with the puck might be to use Ehlers' strategy of "reversing" the puck - taking it deeper into his own corner from high up the half wall and creating space and options to reverse the puck for a cleaner exit the other way. He has the skill and speed to do this, but is much more inclined to make a half-hearted attempt to clear the zone than he is to try to hang onto the puck and find space. It's notable that both Ehlers and Connor excel at creating space for themselves with the puck in the offensive zone, but only Ehlers tends to use his quickness and agility to carry the puck into safer areas in his own zone.