LW Kyle Connor - Michigan, NCAA (2015, 17th, WPG)

[The Winter Soldier]

I'm thinking he meant in terms of raw speed only but the words kind of fumbled out of his mouth.

I sure would hope so. To me Connor was always more comparable to a Toews Lite. Though I hate the term Lite as it reflects as the player being less than the compared player. Where Connor is just quality. What he is doing this year a year after what Larkin did in the same program is probably the most impressive draft + 1 year player has done this year. It would be interesting where he would rank in a redraft.

 

[Jetsetter]

I had to repost this. Who was the announcer that compared Connor to Raymond or Grabner? I almost spilt my coffee when I heard this. I would feel pretty insulted if I were Mark Hillier.

I love watching this for the seventh time. I wish you would have included Chev's laughing as he hung up the phone at the draft table

Thanks for posting this!

 

[MardyBum]

Hopefully if he signs with the Jets after this season Scheifele gives him a shout and gets him in with Roberts.

 

[Siludin]

Between Connor, White, and Boeser, the USA has a very good future. Every time I think of how great a year Boeser is having and how lucky the Canucks are, I check Connor's numbers and he has Boeser eclipsed in every category. Crazy.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Between Connor, White, and Boeser, the USA has a very good future. Every time I think of how great a year Boeser is having and how lucky the Canucks are, I check Connor's numbers and he has Boeser eclipsed in every category. Crazy.

its kinda weird how those 3 are the future for USA but are all drafted to Canadian teams haha

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

its kinda weird how those 3 are the future for USA but are all drafted to Canadian teams haha

Connor, Boeser and White are the future of team USA, huh? Not that Gaudreau, Eichel or Matthews guys, they are meh.
I mean Connor didn't even make team USA WJC team. He must have massive flaws in his game.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Connor, Boeser and White are the future of team USA, huh? Not that Gaudreau, Eichel or Matthews guys, they are meh.
I mean Connor didn't even make team USA WJC team. He must have massive flaws in his game.

haha well ya obviously Gaudreau/Eichel/Matthews are

im just saying way down the road. Connor/Boeser/White are all unreal prospects and will be big pieces of USA hockey

 

[thrillhous]

Connor, Boeser and White are the future of team USA, huh? Not that Gaudreau, Eichel or Matthews guys, they are meh.
I mean Connor didn't even make team USA WJC team. He must have massive flaws in his game.

Gaudreau didn't make the USA WJC team in his draft +1 season. He must have massive flaws in his game.

 

[jetkarma*]

Michigan is playing Penn St on the Big Ten network in an hour .

See if the white hot streak continues .

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Michigan is playing Penn St on the Big Ten network in an hour .

See if the white hot streak continues .

Can't wait to see the point total he puts up tonight

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Gaudreau didn't make the USA WJC team in his draft +1 season. He must have massive flaws in his game.

Yeah. He was 5'6 145 pounds.regardless though. If Connor didn't have flaws he wouldn't have slid down the draft, or got cut from team USA. He's a great prospect (I wanted the Flames to pick him) but he obviously must have some pretty big holes in his game.

 

[jetkarma*]

Yeah. He was 5'6 145 pounds.regardless though. If Connor didn't have flaws he wouldn't have slid down the draft, or got cut from team USA. He's a great prospect (I wanted the Flames to pick him) but he obviously must have some pretty big holes in his game.

That isn't accurate .

One could say there were questions or concerns but describing it as having pretty big holes is way too dramatic .

Like almost all draft picks he isn't as accomplished defensively as he needs to be to be a legitimate NHL player , or where he will be in regards to that aspect of his game . While he is 6-1 he is slight to be sure but that is an overrated part of transitioning well .

Why he lasted till 17 has a lot to do with the quality of the draft , his position and that some teams don't value the USHL as much as others do .

Personally I hate the position of no man's land , the middle of round one being barren of true quality players . It happens virtually every year that an exceptional talent ( or two , or more ) is taken there . Would you say that Larkin had major flaws and serious holes in his game ?

 

[Mark Edwards]

Good call. Mark Edwards (Hockeyprospect.com) ranked Connor at 5 overall. Interestingly, Edwards also had Ehlers ranked @ #5 in 2014. Very happy that the Jets got them at #9 and #17. It infused a lot of much-needed skill and speed to the Jets prospect pool.

Connor, Ehlers and Dylan Larkin (we had him 9th in his year) are three guys I really liked. They were also three of my fave players that I just flat out enjoyed watching in their draft years. I obviously watch a ton of games, I really looked forward to watching those kids play.

 

[thrillhous]

Yeah. He was 5'6 145 pounds.regardless though. If Connor didn't have flaws he wouldn't have slid down the draft, or got cut from team USA. He's a great prospect (I wanted the Flames to pick him) but he obviously must have some pretty big holes in his game.

Sorry, but sometimes it's as simple as mistakes are made. Everyone was shocked Filip Forsberg fell so far and then, to top it off, he was traded by the Caps for a broken Martin Erat. Some assumed, like you are here, that there had to be something wrong, but his stats were strong and those watching him were continually impressed. Those that assumed were proven wrong.

He's a prospect, and all prospects have some holes in their game. But everyone is raving about Connor and the stats are incredible. You can go ahead and make your assumptions but I think you'll be proven wrong.

 

[covfefe]

Yeah. He was 5'6 145 pounds.regardless though. If Connor didn't have flaws he wouldn't have slid down the draft, or got cut from team USA. He's a great prospect (I wanted the Flames to pick him) but he obviously must have some pretty big holes in his game.

Connor actually wasn't invited to the US WJC camp. It's pretty hard to believe that players like Bjork, DeBrincat, Donato, Eansor, Hitchcock, or Macinnis brought more to the table than Connor.

 

[jetkarma*]

Connor actually wasn't invited to the US WJC camp. It's pretty hard to believe that players like Bjork, DeBrincat, Donato, Eansor, Hitchcock, or Macinnis brought more to the table than Connor.

Politics .

 

[William H Bonney]

Politics .

No. Connor should have been on the team. Indefensible decision. But incompetence isn't politics.

 

[jetkarma*]

No. Connor should have been on the team. Indefensible decision. But incompetence isn't politics.

Indefensible or not , politics played a major role in the decision , imo it was the biggest reason .

It was incompetent , that I totally agree with .

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

No. Connor should have been on the team. Indefensible decision. But incompetence isn't politics.

I mean our own prospect Kylington didn't even get invited to teams Sweden camp this year. Even after being invited last year and playing pre-tourney games.
He obviously has the talent but his attitude issues cost him.

Was it the same question with Connor?

 

[William H Bonney]

Indefensible or not , politics played a major role in the decision , imo it was the biggest reason .

It was incompetent , that I totally agree with .

What politics?

 

[jetkarma*]

I mean our own prospect Kylington didn't even get invited to teams Sweden camp this year. Even after being invited last year and playing pre-tourney games.
He obviously has the talent but his attitude issues cost him.

Was it the same question with Connor?

There is no issue with Connor's attitude.

 

[jetkarma*]

What politics?

The US has a system in place that they have gotten behind 100% and it has paid dividends to be sure , there is a bias for players that come from there and have associations with coaches and management linked to that .

Much like they don't like to nor often take a player playing in one of the Canadian Jr. leagues over a player from an American university .

Don Cherry espouses to not have as many non Canadians playing JR. in Canada , the US strongly prefers the US National development program ( it's very good ) and players linked to there and that means to management as well .

 

[Mathmew Purrrr Oh]

I had to repost this. Who was the announcer that compared Connor to Raymond or Grabner? I almost spilt my coffee when I heard this. I would feel pretty insulted if I were Mark Hillier.

since no one has answered your question, it was noted hockey mind Damien Cox who said it

 

[jetkarma*]

since no one has answered your question, it was noted hockey mind Damien Cox who said it

No one paid attention

 

[thrillhous]

No. Connor should have been on the team. Indefensible decision. But incompetence isn't politics.

Exactly this. Was not politics.