Top 25 Under 25 –
#4 – Kyle Connor
6’1” 182 lbs – Winger – Shoots Left
NHL 2018-2019 Season: 14 GP – 6G – 5A – 11PTS – 4PIM
NHL 2017-2018 Season: 76 GP – 31G – 26A – 57PTS – 16PIM
NHL Career Stats: 110 GP – 39G – 34A – 73PTS – 24PIM
Kyle Connor had a memorable 2017-18 season with the Winnipeg Jets. The 21-year-old became a full-time fixture on the top line, alongside Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler. Paired with those offensive threats, Connor scored 31 goals, leading all rookies in that category. Connor finished the year with 57 points, fourth among rookies. He also came in fourth in Calder Trophy voting for rookie of the year.
Connor started out this season hot, with four goals in his first five games. Things have cooled off a bit since, and he currently finds himself on a new look second line alongside Bryan Little and Mathieu Perreault. The move doesn’t really seem like a demotion, but rather a necessary move as Paul Maurice attempts to jumpstart the slow starts of Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine.
It’s easy to like the way Connor plays, with his speed and nose for the goal. He has landed himself a spot on the first power play unit, and is a part of the reason why the power play is clicking at a 33.3% rate, good for second in the league.
Connor is one of a few Winnipeg Jets that will be due sizable raises at the end of the season, as his entry-level contract expires. How this season progresses, how he fits into the Jets’ future plans and how negotiations go will all be very interesting to watch.
