The Vegas Golden Knights' prospect pool has been a complete joke in recent years, particularly with the forward group. Nobody in the group, sans Nick Suzuki, has panned out in prominent roles. That has led to Kelly McCrimmon and company wheelin' and dealin' for the league's best players.
However, the one time when the Golden Knights desperately need a prospect to pan out, it doesn't happen. That was the case with Trevor Connelly, who suffered a devastating leg injury during the World Junior Summer Showcase.
Trevor Connelly was helped off the ice after this hit and couldn’t put weight on his right leg. #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/3P58Odcs2H
— Tony Cordasco (@TonyDasco) July 28, 2025
Now that's a rough hit to take. That's especially true when you got some playing time with the Henderson Silver Knights last season. Here, he scored a goal and three assists in six games. Mind you, he couldn't put weight on his right leg, indicating the hit was fairly severe.
With that comes expectations that he'll light up the NHL. Despite past controversies, the winger scored 55 goals and 70 assists in two seasons (109 games) in the USHL, making him one of the most talented forwards around.
How bad does this hurt Trevor Connelly's progression with the Vegas Golden Knights?
According to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, Team USA head coach Bob Motzko made it sound like Connelly was done for the week, indicating the hit was pretty rough. If that's the case, it has some rough consequences for the promising forward.
Team USA head coach Bob Motzko says we won’t see Cole Hutson (WSH) this week and that Cole Eiserman (NYI) is day-to-day.
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) July 29, 2025
Sounds like Trevor Connelly (VGK) is done for the week as well, but no update there.
For one, his progress towards becoming an NHL regular gets impeded. You're looking at a strong possibility of missing time developing, whether he plays in the AHL or higher. It's a shame because he impressed in his brief showing with the Silver Knights last season.
Generally, injuries to the leg can hamper a forward's skating ability. They don't have the speed they once had, making life rough. The good news is that Connelly has time on his side to go with a plethora of talent. That won't be much of a concern if he can return to form and regain his scoring touch.
Considering his talent and offensive acumen, fans shouldn't look into it too much. Hockey is a physical game where everyone gets run into all the time. This is as unfortunate as the Seattle Seahawks not running the ball at the one-yard line.
Now, if there's another injury down the road, fans should be concerned. That's what we call having an injury history at the professional level, folks. Hopefully, that's not the case and Connelly has a fruitful future with the Golden Knights.