Trevor Connelly didn’t get on the scoresheet in Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings, and that was enough to leave some Vegas Golden Knights fans uneasy. Jackson Hallum and Viliam Kmec did the heavy lifting in the victory, but Connelly’s night was quieter than anyone around the team probably wanted.
That doesn’t mean the 20-year-old winger is suddenly in trouble. It does mean the preseason spotlight is getting brighter, especially after a game where the former first-round pick didn’t leave much of a mark. Connelly, who just got his AHL start with the Henderson Silver Knights last season, had a limited impact against the Kings and looked like a player still trying to prove he belongs in a larger role.
Still, there’s another chance right away. The Golden Knights are back in preseason action Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks, and that gives Connelly a fresh opportunity to answer back. For a player Vegas clearly values, that next outing matters.
The biggest takeaway from Saturday is simple: Connelly can’t shy away from shooting. He took three shots on goal, which was at least a sign of intent, and he needs to keep leaning into that part of his game. The pucks didn’t go in, but the approach was there.
He also has to keep doing what makes him dangerous in the first place. Connelly’s ability to slip past defenders and find space is a real weapon, and his smooth skating gives him a chance to create offense even when the finish isn’t there. That part of his game should remain the foundation.
Just as important, he has to stay confident through the rest of the preseason. The pressure is real for a young winger trying to show he’s ready for the NHL, and that can creep into a player’s head.
But the answer is not to overthink it. Keep shooting, keep making small adjustments, and keep forcing defenders and goaltenders into tough decisions.
The Golden Knights are clearly high on the native of Tustin, California, and that belief makes Connelly one of the more important prospects in the mix. Tuesday against the Sharks is another chance to show why.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Just Narrowed The Battle For Opening Night Spots
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Trevor Connelly remains among the players still in the mix, keeping his chance alive to stick with the big club a little longer. For Vegas, the early cuts have narrowed the field, but they have not settled the most interesting question yet: which young players can do enough in the final stretch of camp to stay in the conversation when the roster gets serious. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Craig Walks Into A Golden Knights Job With No Patience
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A recent study placed Craig third among coaches under the most pressure, a reminder that the margin for error in Vegas is thin from the start. He inherits veteran players, a demanding market and the challenge of following a coach who guided the Golden Knights to the doorstep of a second Cup. For Craig, the job is not just about implementing his own approach, but about doing it quickly enough to keep a win-now roster moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
Mitch Marner Already Changed The Golden Knights Cup Conversation
Mitch Marners arrival in Vegas has already altered the way the Golden Knights are being discussed heading into a new season. The NHLs Top 50 Players Right Now list underscored that, placing Marner 16th and making him the first Golden Knights player to crack the ranking. After a first season that produced 24 goals and 56 assists, he quickly became more than a marquee addition for the lineup, giving the club a player who can tilt shifts at even strength, run the power play and contribute while short-handed.
Marners impact has also reached beyond the stat sheet and into the bigger conversation around the teams next step. With changes on the coaching staff and parts of the roster reshaped for the coming season, Vegas enters camp with a different feel, and Marner sits at the center of it. His playoff production, which led the league with 29 points, only sharpened the sense that the Golden Knights now have a player who can help define how far this version of the team can go. [Read more 🡒]