The Vegas Golden Knights got plenty of representation during the 2025 World Juniors. They saw prospects such as Tuomas Uronen and Mathieu Cataford play for their respective countries. However, one name represented the United States, making himself "Captain America" among Golden Knight fans: Trevor Connelly.
Connelly represented Team USA during the 2025 World Juniors, scoring one goal and three assists. He was instrumental in getting the Americans a gold medal, providing offense on the fourth line. The games were a solid first step for the 2024 first-round pick, who's faced controversy during his amateur career. In fact, he showed how viable he was on offense, as proven by this tweet.
One of Team USA’s most important players in their #WorldJuniors Gold medal was #VegasBorn Trevor Connelly
— Gabriel Foley (@NHLFoley) January 13, 2025
He was very, very good. In all three zones. Says even more that he was the top player w/o NTDP roots.
A very special player pic.twitter.com/ZAtnESWhw1
Sure, he might've had one goal throughout the tournament. However, advanced metrics showed he was a bigger contributor for the Americans than people realize. He was excellent in offensive transition, creating opportunities on the rush. He's grown his offensive capabilities to become adaptable in any offense.
So let's break down what Connelly did right during that tournament. What are some strengths that Golden Knights fans should watch for as he goes through his minor league career? What can he improve as he becomes a viable forward for the Golden Knights? Could Connelly crack the NHL lineup sooner rather than later?
What Trevor Connelly did right with Team USA
As mentioned, Trevor Connelly was strong in transition. He showed excellent puck control and had great entries, making him a useful player on the attack. The Providence College forward showed he can initiate the offense and be a kickstarter, creating more opportunities for his teammates. If he gets the call-up in the future and continues his projected trajectory, he'd be a great running mate alongside Jack Eichel or Ivan Barbashev.
That also applies with the rush, where he's a terrific complimentary piece. He's not the primary guy in the attack, but he doesn't need to be. He can set up his teammates outside of the slot, where they can confound their opponents. Fans can imagine the native of Tustin, California, going up and down the ice at T-Mobile Arena, scoring goals.
He's also shown he can retain possession without any issues. His grade of 90.20% shows how he reads his surroundings well, acting accordingly with the play. Such awareness will improve him in situational hockey, where he'll thrive in any scenario.
What Connelly can improve for the future
One thing Connelly can improve in his minor league/amateur journey is his defense. He wasn't graded as high in his exits (67.40%) as his entries. His struggles with exits wouldn't make him useful on the penalty kill. In turn, he'd only be used from a special teams aspect on the power play.
Connelly can also do better with winning puck battles. Sure, the 2024 first-round pick is an offensive star with finesse. However, being a part of Bruce Cassidy's team means getting some elbow grease into your play. That means the Team USA representative must get involved more off the puck and carry the play.
Fans might see the 18-year-old's past and immediately react like this:
However, Connelly has ample time to develop before joining the Vegas Golden Knights. His offensive capabilities show he can partake in the transition game, particularly in the rush. If he can shore up his defensive game and make better exits, he can expand his role to being on the penalty kill. In turn, he'll prove the skeptics and doubters wrong, which would be perfect.