Trevor Connelly has had a roller coaster ride of a hockey career. First, he was caught up in a horrible Snapchat scandal involving anti-Semitic remarks. Then he developed a reputation as a bad teammate and person, allegedly hurling racial slurs at his opponents. Mix in Connelly taking a leak in a teammate's bag and you have a disaster cocktail (no, that doesn't come from eating McDonald's new Crispy Chicken Strips, either).
Yet, that didn't deter Kelly McCrimmon from selecting him with the 19th overall pick. He was a top-ten pick in many circles if he didn't have character issues. Still, McCrimmon invested his first-round pick in a player who scored 55 goals and 70 assists in the USHL (109 games).
The cupboard seems barren of offensive-minded prospects for the Golden Knights, after all. Who do you have besides Connelly and Mathieu Cataford? That doesn't bode well for a team looking to crank open the Stanley Cup window as wide as possible.
Still, if you don't know how McCrimmon operates, well, I've got some bad news for you, Connelly. You see, the Golden Knights have harbored a reputation for competing since "Day F****** One." That meant certain things are coming at a cost.
Will Trevor Connelly suffer the same fate as previous Golden Knights first-round draft picks?
You see, dear reader. The Vegas Golden Knights have developed a reputation for trading away their first-round draft picks. It's not that they don't like them. It's simply that they're in the business of winning.
That's the price a team pays for being one of the most competitive franchises in the NHL. Just look at the Golden Knights' graveyard for first-round draft picks in the last six years (WARNING: It's a bit spooooooky!):
|
Year |
Pick |
Result |
|---|---|---|
|
2019 |
Peyton Krebs |
Part of the Jack Eichel trade to the Buffalo Sabres |
|
2020 |
Brendan Brisson |
Part of the Reilly Smith trade to the New York Rangers |
|
2021 |
Zach Dean |
Part of the Ivan Barbashev trade to the St. Louis Blues |
|
2023 |
David Edstrom |
Part of the Tomas Hertl trade to the San Jose Sharks |
Of course, other former first-round draft picks have also been dealt beforehand. Remember Erik Brannstrom when he was dealt to the Ottawa Senators for Mark Stone? What about Nick Suzuki going to the Montreal Canadiens for Max Pacioretty?
The point? There's a common theme with the Golden Knights. They don't care about their first-round draft picks as much as other NHL teams do. After all, the objective is to win a Stanley Cup.
Why that won't be the case with Connelly
On the surface, one would think that Connelly would be next in the trade carousel. He's had a reputation as being difficult to work with during his amateur years, bouncing from team to team.
But what if he learned his lesson? What if the first-round draft pick has a solid showing as a prospect? He did impress hockey fans with Henderson, scoring a goal and three assists.
That might be a small sample, sure. You'd need more definitive proof to see if he's a viable piece to Vegas's long-term plans. But Connelly has everything a team would want, ranging from an innate hockey IQ and instinct to incredible offensive handles.
All he needs to do is rebuild his reputation in the hockey community. It might take some time. However, a solid AHL campaign will put him on the map as a viable long-term piece. That's something Kelly McCrimmon can't ignore.
