Player Discussion: Kyle Connor is a machine.

[Duke749]

KFC is hands down the best player on our team

He’s not even the best player on his line.

 

[tntkid]

He’s not even the best player on his line.

Best pure goal scorer in our line up with more potential than any player on his line.

 

[Duke749]

Best pure goal scorer in our line up with more potential than any player on his line.

Well you were half right at least that time.

 

[KB1971]

I missed the days when you could just enjoy watching a player.

I fully realize his defensive issues, but I sure enjoy watching him score. He gets himself open for chances consistently.

 

[Duke749]

I missed the days when you could just enjoy watching a player.

I fully realize his defensive issues, but I sure enjoy watching him score. He gets himself open for chances consistently.

That is probably his best skill. Finding himself open. That’s why he works so well with Scheif because Scheif is a beast down low with the puck.

 

[KB1971]

That is probably his best skill. Finding himself open. That’s why he works so well with Scheif because Scheif is a beast down low with the puck.

And willing to hang out by the net. I think he forechecks really well too. The simple chip/dump and retrieval is obviously what the coach wants.

 

[Howard Chuck]

Connor is good at what he does.

He is a gun slinger. Amazing one!

Fun to watch also.

Connor Little Wheeler

Could have been a very reliable (very good) 2nd line ..
Little to carry the defense less burden on schiefele. And connor gets a great playmaker in wheeler.

But we have to wait next year.....
Ehlers and Laine between Schiefele better at defensive standpoint (could) as a whole unit also.

Connor might get less 5on5 time.
He can increase it with more PK time in the 2nd unit. He is on PP1

You always read my mind

 

[Howard Chuck]

I missed the days when you could just enjoy watching a player.

I fully realize his defensive issues, but I sure enjoy watching him score. He gets himself open for chances consistently.

Lol, you are preaching to the choir. I really wish that I hadn't become addicted to forums like this. Sometimes they are fun, but they tend to be divisive. Instead of loving the team we end up picking players that we hope do better than other players.

I know because I've done it I think if others are honest with themselves, they would admit it as well.

 

[PhilJets]

#break40KFC

 

[Jet]

Despite all the bitching and moaning about our defense, the Jets are very respectable in goals allowed and very average in goals scored.

Connor scores goals. Do the math

 

[Jet]

That says literally nothing. The thing about good defence is that it's typically the absence of shots or goals or what-have-you. You're focusing on the wrong things, and are missing the forest for the trees.

Here's the actual, tangible results: over the past three seasons at 5v5 (score and venue adjusted) relative to teammates, when Ehlers is on the ice there are 3.24 less shots per 60 minutes going towards the net relative to their teammates; with Connor on the ice, there are 2.45 more shots per 60 minutes going towards the net. Or, you can get even more crazy like Micah Blake McCurdy has and try to isolate the individual impacts of these players regardless of the other players on the ice to compare it against the league average (which you can read about here), which shows you that Connor's defensive impact has worsened while Ehlers has actually gotten even better:

So yes - in isolation, even with this god-awful defensive unit, Ehlers has proven that he's much better defensively.

And not as good offensively.

They're both good players with shortcomings.

 

[tntkid]

Connor was signing autographs at a Little Pizza Heaven today at Madison Square.

He was in a great mood and the proceeds went to charity.

 

[1stDan]

I missed the days when you could just enjoy watching a player.

I fully realize his defensive issues, but I sure enjoy watching him score. He gets himself open for chances consistently.

If they had a 'slippery' stat on NHL20 his would be 95.

 

[QuietContrarian]

And not as good offensively.

They're both good players with shortcomings.

This is exactly my point?

what do you base this off?

For one, Ehlers has never had the chance to produce the way KC has.

Secondly, do you think KC, would produce as much as Ehlers in his situation?
Based on his short stint on the 2nd line at the beginning of the season, it did not look like it.

 

[Jets 31]

You need goal scoring to win games , Ehlers is a fantastic hockey player but just doesn't have hands like Connor to put the puck in the net as much . Love both players and both will be Jets for a long time , i hope Laine is as well . Not all offensive players are great at defense , you know how many times i've seen Ovi not back check but i think everyone would like him on our team . Some on here want the perfect hockey player that scores 50 and is great defensively , Yzerman's don't come around very often . Keep putting the puck in the net Connor and we'll be fine .

 

[Jet]

This is exactly my point?

what do you base this off?

For one, Ehlers has never had the chance to produce the way KC has.

Secondly, do you think KC, would produce as much as Ehlers in his situation?
Based on his short stint on the 2nd line at the beginning of the season, it did not look like it.

I will admit I do not know for sure. However, watching the two play you get the sense that KC has that supreme ability to score goals consistently. He doesn't seem to get down when he has a dry spell and therefore doesn't really get snakebit too much.

Nik seems like a fragile goalscorer. If he goes through a bit of a drought it gets in his head, he gets frustrated and starts gripping the stick.

We've seen these types of goalscorers play out in the nhl over and over again.

I could be totally wrong but that is the sense I get from them.

I love them both and would not like to lose either. There was also talk of trading Laine which is ludicrous at this point. He's had a huge development year despite scoring a little less.

 

[LowLefty]

This is exactly my point?

what do you base this off?

For one, Ehlers has never had the chance to produce the way KC has.

Secondly, do you think KC, would produce as much as Ehlers in his situation?
Based on his short stint on the 2nd line at the beginning of the season, it did not look like it.

I agree KC may not perform as well as Ehlers on another line.
He's having a career year playing where he is and this trio play a similar game.
Looks like both players are being well utilized in support of a solid top six

 

[Weezeric]

I, for one, enjoy the fact that we can have an argument as to who’s the best of our young, top line wingers that are both locked up long term on great value deals.

 

[Adam da bomb]

I, for one, enjoy the fact that we can have an argument as to who’s the best of our young, top line wingers that are both locked up long term on great value deals.

As long as Laine signs to an affordable deal we are set.

 

[LowLefty]

That is probably his best skill. Finding himself open. That’s why he works so well with Scheif because Scheif is a beast down low with the puck.

I agree
He does make himself available
He's a very good fit with both Scheif and Wheels for this reason and others including the cycle game they all play so effectively. I think it's the primarily reason they play so well together - they bring out what's best in each of their games - IMO

 

[Adam da bomb]

Would Connor have tied or passed Laine’s 44 if season had continued? He was at 38 avg a goal a game for 8 games and had 11 games remaining.

 

[Skidooboy]

Would Connor have tied or passed Laine’s 44 if season had continued? He was at 38 avg a goal a game for 8 games and had 11 games remaining.

I would say yes. he was soooooo hot. But it's more than a hot streak....Connor has soooo many tools . his speed, his edge control, his body positioning, his cvision, hands and shot.... He really has developed swagger to his play. He has gotten over the "Wow I'm playing in the NHL" phase and moved into his "I'm better than all these guys" phase. He isn't respecting his opponents anymore, he's attacking their weaknesses and using his speed, skill and vision to dictate what happens out there. Watch his cycle game. He skates straight into contact from bigger stronger opponents and even though there's no room to work with and it looks like he has no way through or around he somehow sates away with the puck.

 

[LowLefty]

I would say yes. he was soooooo hot. But it's more than a hot streak....Connor has soooo many tools . his speed, his edge control, his body positioning, his cvision, hands and shot.... He really has developed swagger to his play. He has gotten over the "Wow I'm playing in the NHL" phase and moved into his "I'm better than all these guys" phase. He isn't respecting his opponents anymore, he's attacking their weaknesses and using his speed, skill and vision to dictate what happens out there. Watch his cycle game. He skates straight into contact from bigger stronger opponents and even though there's no room to work with and it looks like he has no way through or around he somehow sates away with the puck.

Good summary
His progression has been fairly slow up until this year and now he's really starting to open up his game.
He's always had the elite skill set and now comes the confidence of using his tool box to take over.
He's just getting warmed up - he's figured out how he wants to play the game at this level and it's exactly as you have described

 

[ps241]

And not as good offensively.

They're both good players with shortcomings.

I agree they are both good players with shortcomings.

I think Ehlers is as good offensively IMO. He generates allot of points for the time he is on the ice. Being on the #1 PP unit is going to distort raw production quite a bit. Currently Connor has 56 even strength points and Ehlers has 53 even strength points playing mostly on the 2nd line away from the top scoring centre.

I love Connors hands around the net and on break always, he is a pure finisher and at times dazzling. I truly love watching that part of his game. I get frustrated watching him trapped in his own zone, passive, and helpless. He also plays with a centre who cheats for offense which exasperates his weakness. Away from the HF echo chamber Jets fans look at you like you have two heads when you mention anything negative about KFC.

Watching Ehlers crank it up and exit and enter zones is pretty dazzling. He is one of the top players in the NHL for imposing his will on zone entries which is critical for out scoring match ups. However at times he tends to over handle the puck and that bothers me a bit but seems to drive the casual fans nuts.

I am glad they are both on our teamI get why Kyle is more of a fan favorite but I like them both.

 

[ps241]

You need goal scoring to win games , Ehlers is a fantastic hockey player but just doesn't have hands like Connor to put the puck in the net as much . Love both players and both will be Jets for a long time , i hope Laine is as well . Not all offensive players are great at defense , you know how many times i've seen Ovi not back check but i think everyone would like him on our team . Some on here want the perfect hockey player that scores 50 and is great defensively , Yzerman's don't come around very often . Keep putting the puck in the net Connor and we'll be fine .

most teams own fans complain way more about their players defensive flaws. Ovi is loved by Caps fans but his lazy at times attitude on D can drive them nuts .......Draisaitl is a machine on offense but Brett Hull level horrific defensively but outside of Edmonton nobody complains.