It's no secret that the Vegas Golden Knights are high on Trevor Connelly. Despite having a quiet game on Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings, the former first-round pick survived the first wave of cuts and is expected to play on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks. But that's not all that is in store for the Golden Knights' top prospect.
He's also being looked at on the power play unit, where he'll get his licks on the second unit. He's in a platoon-like role with Ivan Barbashev during Golden Knights training camp, joining names like William Karlsson, Braeden Bowman, Victor Olofsson, and Rasmus Andersson. That's right, folks. The top Golden Knights prospect is being trusted with bigger responsibilities.
Better give him the keys to the sports car.
First look at VGK's power play units. A departure from last season.
— Ryan The Hockey Guy (@RyanHockeyGuy) September 21, 2026
PP1
Stone
Eichel - Hertl - Marner
Theodore
PP2
Bowman
Connelly/Barbashev - Karlsson - Olofsson
Andersson
On top of that, he's also being put together with Victor Olofsson and Tomas Hertl. The 20-year-old will get some NHL exposure with some seasoned veterans, giving him a chance to elevate his game further. It's easy to see why Connelly is getting his opportunity to shine with Vegas.
He scored 14 goals and 35 assists with the Henderson Silver Knights last season, making him one of the most important players on the team. The native of Tustin, California, also had a decorated amateur career stat-wise, making him a high-risk, high-reward player.
But let's focus on the power play aspect for a second. Seeing Connelly get reps on the unit shows bigger plans within the Golden Knights' structure. What could he bring to the table on the man advantage? Can he handle the pressure of participating in the power play as a 20-year-old kid? Time to dive into this like we're in Southern California, getting ready to surf the Pacific Ocean (get it? Connelly's from there).
What can Trevor Connelly potentially bring to the Vegas Golden Knights' power play?
Connelly is excellent at playing the front of the net. He uses his hockey intelligence and vision to drive the play, giving his teammates the perfect opportunity to capitalize. These attributes give him an advantage in breaking through in the power play structure.
Think of how he looks for the open man when his teammate enters the high-danger zone. If Connelly sees his teammate cut across and enter the right spot, he'll always strike. That style is typically associated with veteran NHL players, putting him in a better position in the power play.
Still, he can learn from his veteran teammates, should he make the team. The Golden Knights might have one of the NHL's oldest lineups, with the average age hitting 30. However, that benefits the 20-year-old, giving him the perfect opportunity to develop into the ultimate play driver.
Having organizational expectations also means achieving said expectations. When the Golden Knights drafted Connelly in 2024, the objective was to make him into a future top-six winger with added special teams responsibilities. If he can nail the added task of handling the power play, that'll add more stock to his growing profile.
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