TREVOR CONNELLY

Center
6’1/161
Left
Tri-City Storm/USHL

Related: Ryder Ritchie

Trevor Connelly is a terrific Skater who probably has more skill than most other USA prospects and had a productive Hliknka-Gretzky tourney, where he was dangerous on every touch.  Connelly is one of the most skilled forwards in the draft. His blend of puck handling, skating, and ability in transition gives him a clear top-six upside when he’s on his game. He has good touch and hands is always driving play and has an explosive game-breaker ability to separate from defenders or drive through defenders to get to the front of the net. Connelly displays superb edge work in his skating where he quickly changes direction while accelerating out of his cuts at top speed. Trevor has a strong blistering release and an innate knack for correctly anticipating his shooting window. He’s a hard accurate shooter, who works for his scoring opportunities and is impossible to bridle for long stretches. This high-ceiling wing leads the USHL’s draft class as the best player. Although he is a player who will take time to develop, some consider him a top-ten caliber player. From a pure hockey perspective, he’s a first-round talent.

Size/Strength Good
Skating Excellent
Shot/Scoring Great
Puckhandling Excellent
Physical Play Good
Offensive Play Excellent
Defensive Play Below Average
Hockey Sense Great
Competitiveness Great

Strengths

1. Connelly is one of the most skilled forwards in the draft. His blend of puck handling, skating, and ability in transition gives him a clear top-six upside.
2. Connelly plays with unmatched confidence. He constantly tries to take on opponents one-on-one, and always goes for the throat with his offensive zone incursions.
3. He possesses some of the better hands, on-puck movement at speed, offensive zone problem-solving, and touch as a passer in the draft, regularly making plays in tight coverage.

Areas of Improvement

1. His defensive game is lackluster.
2. His motor is very inconsistent.
3. There have been major questions with character that will likely have some teams very hesitant to bet on his upside.

Scouting Report

As expected, Trevor Connelly has been one of the USHL’s top players, showcasing his high-end playmaking abilities. Last season, Connelly scored 24 goals and 47 points in 57 games
with the Tri-City Storm. With USA at the U18 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Connelly scored 5 goals and 10 points and was one of the teams’ best players. Connelly plays with unmatched confidence. He constantly tries to take on opponents one-on-one, pushes through checks with shoulder drops and great puck placement, and always goes for the throat with his offensive zone entries. A major difference between Connelly last year versus this year is that he trusts his teammates a lot more to complete his plays. As a result, his playmaking game has grown and he has adopted a distributor role that fits his skillset better than the finisher role he was trying to force last year. Despite the absurd skill level, there are some worrying setbacks in Connelly’s game. His defensive game is lackluster, his motor is very inconsistent, and there have been major questions with the character that will likely have some teams very hesitant to bet on his upside, no matter how high it is. Trevor Connelly is taller and stronger than Mat Barzal, although he is not a shifty and dynamic as Barzal as a playmaking threat, he is comparable in terms of his skating and puckhandling skills. The talent is there no doubt; he definitely could be a potential top-10 pick in this year’s draft and a potential top-line point-scoring winger.

Skill: Dynamic, skillful winger with great playmaking and puck-carrying abilities

NHL Comparable: Mat Barzal

NHL Potential: Top 6 Playdriving Winger

Season	Team	League	GP	G	PTS
2022-23	Tri-City Storm	USHL	57	24	47
2023-24	USA U18	Hlinka Gretzky Cup	5	5	10
	Tri-City Storm	USHL	20	8	26

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