Brett Connolly

[TheNudge]

Hi there,

I wanted more information on is status. Is he progressing well ? Did is injuries hurt him after the Draft cause I know it hurt is stock at the draft? Also what you think is potential is? Is he gona be more of a sniper top 6 or a character player?

The only thing I know about him is that is final ranking was 4th but got pick by tampa bay at 6th overall. Also he's a big player that doesn't use is size and that he's got great hands.

Also who's better Ryan Strom (2011 draftee ) or Joel Armia Huberdeau or Brett Connolly? I hate comparing nhl prospect to draftee but I need to know since I might trade Brett Connolly!!! Should I keep him or trade him for a 7th overall 2011.


Need more info on Brett Connolly, please help !!!

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[zjh]

Better than Armia, equal to Strome, not as good as Huberdeau.

 

[Fast Tony DeNiro]

I'd say if he can get past his injuries, there's a chance he's the best player listed. Before his hip injury, he was right up there in Taylor Hall's class as a prospect.

He had another injury this year, but it was a shoulder.....the hip held up just fine and he had a very good season in the WHL.

Imo, I keep him over all other players listed. He's walking into a great situation in Tampa, and should be there within the next two seasons.

 

[17Kurri]

Hi there,

I wanted more information on is status. Is he progressing well ? Did is injuries hurt him after the Draft cause I know it hurt is stock at the draft? Also what you think is potential is? Is he gona be more of a sniper top 6 or a character player?

The only thing I know about him is that is final ranking was 4th but got pick by tampa bay at 6th overall. Also he's a big player that doesn't use is size and that he's got great hands.

Also who's better Ryan Strom (2011 draftee ) or Joel Armia Huberdeau or Brett Connolly? I hate comparing nhl prospect to draftee but I need to know since I might trade Brett Connolly!!! Should I keep him or trade him for a 7th overall 2011.


Need more info on Brett Connolly, please help !!!

I think a reasonable comparable for him in this year's draft class is Matt Puempel. Similar scoring prowess and similar injury history.

 

[umwoz]

If he can stay healthy, a pure offensive player. Knows how to pass, has a wicked wrist shot, and is creative in the offensive zone. Many think of him as a wait and shoot player, but he can create for himself as well.

What I'm most impressed with in Connolly is that he can create at a very fast pace, many players can't stickhandle or make the elaborate pass when at their top end speed while Connolly seems to have no trouble doing so.

As far as this season goes he seems to be more willing to make the dirty/gritty plays for his team. Battling for loose pucks, working in the corners, etc... He's much less of a risky prospect now(IMO) than he was on draft day.

 

[leoleo3535]

BC= a very talented hockey player

Injuries will be his battle.

 

[Andrew Knoll]

Pretty fast and can make plays at top speeds, nice hands, very quick release, very accurate wrist shot.

What I saw of him in WJC, well, he was basically a third-liner, carried some defensive responsibility well, didn't make a big dent offensively during the tournament.

With Prince George, he took a step forward this year. He was the most dangerous goal-scorer of anyone I saw in the WHL. His passing skills are good even though he didn't set up that many goals this year, not many finishers around him.

His hip was fine this year, but early in Prince George's playoff series he separated his shoulder, causing him to miss the rest of the series that they dropped to Kelowna. That injury has healed completely already.

Right now he is in Toronto, he'll spend the summer there training with Pete Renzetti, who used to be the strength and conditioning coach for the Red Wings.

To my knowledge, he's just had the one major injury but it did require a serious hip surgery. So far no signs he has any lingering issues there as far as I know.

Armia I've seen only limited bits, cannot really comment there, he is not physically ready for the NHL though, has a lot of filling out to do. That much I could say with certainty, very lanky, didn't appear to have wiry strength either.

Strome is a different kind of player, more of a playmaker, pretty slick but I think I'd take Connolly. Of course I don't know many specifics of your league.

Huberdeau really impressed me this year, that's one you'd have to consider at some length but will he be there at 7? That's a toss-up.

 

[member 30781]

Huberdeau
Armia
Connolly
Strome

That's how I would list them. I'm not a big fan of injuries. I am also not a big fan of Strome.

 

[Vagrant]

Brett Connolly is getting way too much flack in this thread. Matt Puempel as a comparison? Really?

This is the same kid that popped 30 goals as a 16 year old in the Dub. Nobody does that. Nobody. Think about all the great players that have been through that league since Marleau and none of those guys have done it.

He missed his 17 year old season due to injury. He was a year behind this season. Even with all those strikes against him, he STILL managed to go 6th overall in his draft season. Even with the hip injury being a potentially career threatening one according to a few scouts.

Despite all this he comes to Prince George and scores 46 goals in 59 games. On a team where only ONE other player had 25+ goals.

In a few years we'll be talking about Connolly with Skinner and Hall as among the best offensive players taken in this draft. With the way Tampa has money locked up, he's going to make their team sooner rather than later. They need ELC players as secondary scoring and he's going to get every chance to have success.

Yeah he sucked at the WJC, but so did a lot of guys that are still viable prospects. It was a bad year for Canada.

 

[Vincent_TheGreat]

Connolly
Huberdeau
Strome

 

[MajorPain]

Keep Connolly. I'm really not convinced with the skill level and the potential of the prospects past the 1st 4 picks for this year. I actually think lots of poeple on HB will be disapointed with this years class.

Hold on to him and worst case scenario, if he didn't get better after the 2011-12 season, you can still trade him for a top 10 pick for the 2012 draft which looks like a very strong draft IMO.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Brett Connolly is getting way too much flack in this thread. Matt Puempel as a comparison? Really?

This is the same kid that popped 30 goals as a 16 year old in the Dub. Nobody does that. Nobody. Think about all the great players that have been through that league since Marleau and none of those guys have done it.

Matt Puempel had 33G in 59GP and was named CHL rookie of the year in his first OHL season.

 

[Lier X Agerate]

The only player in this draft I'd take over Connolly is Hopkins. Other than that, Connolly is the best player listed here. Huberdeau and Strome are great, but Connolly is just a notch above in my opinion. Can't comment on Armia since I've never seen him play live.

 

[17Kurri]

Matt Puempel had 33G in 59GP and was named CHL rookie of the year in his first OHL season.

Also in his 16yo season, I believe, correct?

 

[arsmaster*]

Also in his 16yo season, I believe, correct?

OHL vs. WHL situation there.

30 goals in the OHL is less of a feat than in the WHL, IMO.

 

[Vagrant]

OHL vs. WHL situation there.

30 goals in the OHL is less of a feat than in the WHL, IMO.

This was more geared towards my consideration. The WHL is generally regarded as the much more physical league and thereby much harder to put up goals as a younger player. Longer and tougher road trips and generally a place where players develop a professional mentality about work ethic. The season is harder to get through there with the physical wear and tear, the being away from family, and the long road trips. Many 16 year old kids would fade under that pressure.

Not to say that the OHL is a walk in the park to make it through, but it's generally a more offensive league with less strenuous travel and less focus on the defensive aspect of the game for forwards.

Additionally, Puempel's physical tools are nothing like those of Brett Connolly. Had he been healthy during his draft season he would have crushed it. Puempel by all accounts has regressed in the eyes of scouts this season in many ways.

 

[BIG BLUE]

OHL vs. WHL situation there.

30 goals in the OHL is less of a feat than in the WHL, IMO.

in the past, yes, but the last 3 years have seen a change

here are the number of 30 goal scorers:

OHL WHL
26, 23 (2003-04)
26, 20
38, 18
44, 34
34, 24
37, 36
38, 36
38, 43 (2010-11)

this stat is just a stat, not the whole story, but interesting trend nonetheless

 

[Vagrant]

in the past, yes, but the last 3 years have seen a change

here are the number of 30 goal scorers:

OHL WHL
26, 23 (2003-04)
26, 20
38, 18
44, 34
34, 24
37, 36
38, 36
38, 43 (2010-11)

this stat is just a stat, not the whole story, but interesting trend nonetheless

If you could find a way to somehow exclude draft eligible players and 16 year old players from that list I think it would be a lot more telling from the perspective of "prospect scoring", as more and more players are not being drafted (due to the decrease in rounds), and more are being sent back to Juniors due to contract limit restrictions. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that the lion's share of 30 goal scorers in both leagues are Senior or Overage seasons.

 

[Alberta tough]

in the past, yes, but the last 3 years have seen a change

here are the number of 30 goal scorers:

OHL WHL
26, 23 (2003-04)
26, 20
38, 18
44, 34
34, 24
37, 36
38, 36
38, 43 (2010-11)

this stat is just a stat, not the whole story, but interesting trend nonetheless

Connolly puts up his goals well traveling up to 2 days on a bus to get to games. How many OHL teams travel that much. Not knocking the OHL its just that travel fatigue is a realty in the WHL. As a 16 year old scoring 30 in the dub is special. like leoleo pointed out not sure if he will be healthy enough to contribute huge numbers in the NHL.