Golden Knights get it right with Trevor Connelly in NHL Draft

Yes, Trevor Connelly isn't the most popular name in hockey right now. However, the Vegas Golden Knights are banking on a changed man.

2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft - First Round
2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft - First Round | Bruce Bennett/GettyImages
2 of 3

The Vegas Golden Knights are a veteran team with leadership

While the 19th overall pick bounced around different teams because of his antics, that won't work with the Golden Knights. Vegas has a veteran group consisting of leaders such as Jack Eichel and Mark Stone. These anchors provide the stable foundation and steer the ship through troubling times.

That's a major part of why the Vegas Golden Knights won the 2023 Stanley Cup. Behind Eichel's 26 points and Stone's 11 goals and 24 points, Vegas stormed through the Stanley Cup playoffs without much trouble. Each player helped one another, bettering each other along the way.

Ironically, people said the same thing about Jack Eichel when he was traded to Vegas. He was labeled as a "locker room cancer" and was deemed too toxic in Buffalo. When he got his opportunity with his new team, he flourished. Eichel proved he was a postseason player, coming through in clutch situations. Yes, the former Buffalo star wasn't engaged in xenophobic attacks. However, he shined in his big opportunity with a new team.

Connelly has the chance to learn and develop himself in the future with Vegas's veterans. Undesirable behaviors exhibited by a young player won't be tolerated by the group. Otherwise, the Tri-City Storm star will be yet another former first-round pick traded.

Schedule